Penn State's Rocco Becht Spends Offseason Focusing on Health, Resiliency

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht played through shoulder injuries during his redshirt junior season at Iowa State last year. Penn State has devised a training program for Becht this offseason to help prevent that from happening again.

Becht is working with strength coach Reid Kagy, who wants players to “build up armor” as part of his overall philosophy. The quarterback was limited during spring practices while he continued rehabbing from offseason surgery but still made an impact as the Nittany Lions’ starter.

“We're trying to make sure we build up some of that resiliency so he can play healthy,” Kagy said at the Lift For Life fundraising event on July 1. “The biggest thing I appreciate about Rocco is, Rocco is a team-first [player], and he's one of the toughest guys on the entire team. What he did last year for our team was incredible. What he's going to do here is going to be incredible from his standpoint, too.”

Becht underwent offseason surgery last December to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He also dealt with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.

Despite that, Becht played in all 12 of the Cyclones’ games, passing for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. On the ground, he added 116 rushing yards and eight scores as well.

"His leadership and his humility and just his toughness and grit were huge pieces of why we had the success we did [at Iowa State]," Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. "Some of the greatest moments in the program’s history are under Rocco."

'He's gonna run'

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) looks to throw a pass on the run during practice at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Becht trained to be more durable during his first offseason with Penn State, which could help prevent injuries this upcoming season. Kagy, who was also the strength coach at Iowa State, sought to help Becht improve his athletic abilities, particularly his speed.

“We're looking at that now,” Kagy said. “Is he gonna run a route? No, but he's gonna run. Rocco being faster — he loves to talk about it, by the way. He's gonna run the ball, so he's getting faster, he's getting stronger.”

While he was limited in spring practices, Becht honed his leadership skills to help the rest of the quarterback room. Campbell referred to Becht as an "extension" of the coaching staff this spring.

Campbell said Becht was ahead of schedule in his recovery process after Penn State’s first spring practice. He was throwing during the first week of practice despite initially being expected to be more limited. That led Becht to call his spring a success.

"I would say my spring went really good," Becht said after the final spring practice. "In the beginning, I wasn't able to do a lot on the field, so I think building that chemistry in the film room and being a leader on and off the field for me was a huge step. I thought I had a good spring to develop in that way, develop in the offense, learn more of the protections, learn the run game, and I think I did a really good job of that."

Prioritizing a healthy Rocco Becht

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) stands on the field during practice at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Keeping Becht healthy is critical for the Nittany Lions this season. The backup quarterback situation has more questions than answers, and Penn State could be in a tough position if Becht were to miss time.

The two main backups behind Becht are Iowa State transfer Alex Manske, who’s only thrown five passes in his collegiate career and missed spring practices, and Division III transfer Connor Barry, a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy last year.

If Becht were to face a situation similar to 2025, it could be in Penn State’s best interest to have him play through an injury rather than take him off the field. Manske is inexperienced, having thrown five passes last season, and missed spring drills at both Iowa State and Penn State. Barry, meanwhile, is making a significant jump in competition, so an injured Becht could still be the Nittany Lions’ top option.

But Becht seems to be up to the challenge to put his body on the line for Penn State as he takes the reins of the offense in 2026.

“Rocco's a leader, and Rocco is a team guy,” Kagy said. “His toughness bleeds into the rest of this team, and from Day 1, even coming back from injury himself, [he] made an impact in any way he could, and obviously this summer he's been incredible.”

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht tosses a medicine ball during a relay race at the 23rd annual Lift For Life. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht tosses a medicine ball during a relay race at the 23rd annual Lift For Life event in State College. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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