What We Learned From Penn State's Blue-White Practice at Beaver Stadium

The Nittany Lions labored through the rain in their final practice of spring.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass during the Blue-White Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | As rain soaked the spectators wearing ponchos in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, the first edition of the Blue-White Practice under head coach Matt Campbell ran its course. 

From individual and group drills to 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 series, the last session of spring practice revealed plenty that caught the fans’ attention. Here is what we learned from the nearly 2-hour practice window at Beaver Stadium. 

Quarterback Rocco Becht is progressing well from his injury

On site for Blue-White📍 pic.twitter.com/8JAdV7NPML

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) April 25, 2026

Despite gradually working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Becht didn’t disappoint Saturday. During his drill work, Becht hit players in stride on a variety of routes and seemed to be the only quarterback who could consistently throw wet balls in the pouring rain. 

Becht connected with wide receiver Zay Robinson for a touchdown in 7-on-7s but didn’t play during the 11-on-11 scrimmage periods when players were allowed to hit. He still looked healthy, showed no problems with accuracy and had plenty of juice on his throws. 

“I would say my spring went really good,” Becht said. “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 in my leadership role.

“ I thought I had a good spring to develop in that way, developing in the offense, running more of the protections, learning the run game. I think I did a really good job of that. And to finish it off, today, I was able to do 7-on-7.”

The backup quarterbacks need more work

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Connor Barry (17) looks on from the field during the Blue-White Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Whether it was the wet balls or not, the backup quarterbacks struggled mightily on Saturday. Connor Barry, the former Division III quarterback who Campbell praised all spring, often threw behind his receivers. During a scrimmage period, Barry fluttered a ball too far inside that fell into cornerback Daryus Dixson’s chest. Pressure from defensive end Yvan Kemajou impacted his throw. 

Freshman Peyton Falzone, who wore a traditional blue jersey instead of the purple non-contact one, missed some simple individual throws and threw a pick-6 on a flat route to cornerback Josiah Zayas, who was blitzing off the edge. Fellow freshman Kase Evans also looked to have a strong arm but was inconsistent as well.

Still, Campbell said that all three quarterbacks gained valuable teaching tape with Becht limited and redshirt freshman Alex Manske out for the entire spring.

“For Connor to get these reps in 15 days of practice, getting so many quality reps [is important],” Campbell said. “To get Kase Evans in the game, [from] small-town Texas to where he is today is a huge change. But to work through that, and get these experiences — what kind of growth can he make from now until we get to the start of fall camp?” 

Of Falzone Campbell added, “I think Peyton's [Falzone] a guy that has shown up. We really took the purple [non-contact] jersey off because he's had some impressive moments in the spring where he can run with the football and do some different things.”

Defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim is a centerpiece

Oklahoma State's Armstrong Nnodim run a drill during a spring football practice in 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nnodim was the most noticeable Nittany Lion at Beaver Stadium, consistently winning reps against the Penn State offensive linemen. What stood out the most was his 1-on-1 matchup with backup center Liam Horan. 

Nnodim (6-2, 319) bull-rushed the center, which ended in arguably the most dominant rep of the practice. The Oklahoma State transfer’s play all spring caught the attention of offensive lineman Cooper Cousins’ too. 

“He’s dominant, nasty and physical, and he's going to talk his crap every time,” Cousins said. “... He's done an outstanding job of getting the D-line room together, and as a young guy, kind of just getting the whole defense together. He's an absolute bruiser. I mean, he's hard to move. I think he's 315 pounds. He's got, like, 18% body fat. He's a freak.

“So, having the opportunity to go against a guy like that in practice is huge, not only for the offensive line's development, but for mine as well. We play against good D-tackles in the Big Ten, really all over the country. So to have someone like Armstrong there is huge.”

Trash talk is heightened on this year’s team

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from behind the line of scrimmage during the Blue-White Practice. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The offensive and defensive lines went head-to-head in 1-on-1 drills, which led to some tough reps and plenty of trash talking. Cousins said the smack talk this spring was more than he’s ever heard at Penn State. 

“Every single day, there's gonna be some form of trash talk, whether you're in the weight room, the film room, or on the field,” Cooper said. “So far, this team has had a lot more trash-talking, which has been awesome. [It] has been fun. I'm sure you saw a little bit more of that today, but no, it's awesome. It's fun.”

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