Quarterback Rocco Becht Ready to 'Sling the Rock' for Penn State

The Nittany Lions starter spent his summer on injury prevention and learning about the program's history.

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

Rocco Becht has learned from those who preceded him as starting quarterback at Penn State. He said he’s spoken to Kerry Collins, Todd Blackledge, Trace McSorley and Christian Hackenberg throughout the offseason.

Becht, who is fully healthy after rehabbing from shoulder surgery, wants to continue the legacy that his predecessors built while preparing to enter fall camp and the 2026 season as the Nittany Lions’ No. 1 quarterback.

“Being able to speak to those guys about how to be a Penn State quarterback is something that I've been able to instill in myself this past summer,” Becht said at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “Hopefully [I’ll be] able to go out there and play like a Penn State quarterback this season.”

Fully recovered from injuries

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht tosses a medicine ball during a relay race at the 23rd annual Lift for Life at Holuba Hall, | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Once Becht officially transferred from Iowa State to Penn State, it was never a question that he would start at quarterback. But before Becht could suit up this fall, he went through the recovery process of an offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, an injury he played through last year.

Becht’s health was one of several injury updates that came from Big Ten Media Days, and he said he’s “100-percent back” to his “normal self” and has “no limitations” heading into fall camp.

“The training staff and the weight room staff have done a great job with me,” Becht said. “Not just me, but everyone on our team that's been injured. I'm super anxious for college football to be back [and] really fall camp because I wasn't able to do a lot in the spring. I just can't wait to go back out there and sling the rock.”

Becht, who dealt with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, was limited during spring practices for his rehab. During this time, Becht worked with strength coach Reid Kagy to “build up some of that resiliency so he can play healthy,” Kagy said at Lift for Life in July.

Becht stayed true to that plan, saying he worked with the strength staff to build himself up in his upper body so that he can shield himself from “those big hits and have less injuries this upcoming season.” Penn State plans to have Becht run the ball as well, so he could have more injury risk.

Becht said Kagy put the team through “hard” workouts and conditioning sessions to build up resiliency.

“So when we do hit those adverse times during the season, it's easy for us,” Becht said. “Not easy in a sense where we can just go out there and close our eyes and do it, but we could go out there and stay in it.”

Brings ‘confidence’ to Penn State

"That's a guy that we want to play for, somebody that knows where we came from."

Transfer QB Rocco Becht shares what makes @pennstatefball's Matt Campbell such a special coach 👇 pic.twitter.com/HplwTNZjPS

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 28, 2026

Becht comes to Penn State after a four-year career at Iowa State under Matt Campbell. His greatest skill that he’s developed is his “confidence,” Campbell said.

“I think there's only one way to develop that, and it's earn it,” Campbell said. “I think he is a young man that had to battle to become the starting quarterback. Nothing's been handed to him. Elite 11 quarterbacks, 5-star quarterbacks, and Rocco has been able to just kind of stay himself.”

Coming out of high school, Becht was rated as a 3-star prospect in the 2022 class. After redshirting his freshman year, he won the starting job with the Cyclones and started every game for them since 2023.

Throughout his time at Iowa State, Becht showed off confidence by leading seven game-winning drives. He won 26 games with the Cyclones, including eight last season despite playing through injuries.

“I think his superpower is he knows who he is, he knows what he stands for, and he's never wavered from it,” Campbell said. “I think the locker room respected that, and I think his character traits get everybody to believe in him when it matters the most, and it showed up in some critical moments.”

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