Where Penn State's Quarterbacks Stand After Spring Practice

Matt Campbell called the Nittany Lions' spring situation at quarterback "interesting right now, to say the least."

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht reacts during the Blue-White Spring Practice t Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State won't have a starting quarterback debate following the departure of Drew Allar, who the Pittsburgh Steelers picked in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Rocco Becht, who started at Iowa State for three years, has been the Nittany Lions' de facto QB1 since officially committing to the program in January.

However, Penn State still worked through what coach Matt Campbell called an "interesting" spring at the quarterback position. The Nittany Lions' projected top two quarterbacks were either out or limited during spring drills, a Division III transfer took a significant number of the 11-on-11 reps and two true freshmen worked through their growing pains in real time.

"By the time we get to fall camp, we should be a lot better [in the] quarterback room than maybe what we were throughout the spring," Campbell said.

So where does Penn State's quarterback room stand following the completion of spring drills? Here's what we learned following practice 15 at Beaver Stadium.

Rocco Becht has command of the team

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht reacts during the Blue-White Spring Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft stood in the South end zone of Beaver Stadium on Saturday, talking with LaVar Arrington and wearing a Rocco Becht logo hat (buy one here). Becht gave Kraft a hat to show his appreciation "for everything he's done for me and this team." Clearly the senior has won over the football building.

"Every leader has to be vocal, and he really knows how to get us all together," Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said. "Even when stuff’s going bad, that’s what he’s best at, getting us all together, really calming the team down, the offense down and really hearing us out."

Becht navigated rehab from offseason surgery to his left (non-throwing) shoulder ahead of his schedule, spending most of spring drills "reconditioning" his right arm, as quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said. Becht threw confidently during 7-on-7 drills at the Blue-White Practice, looking just as comfortable with the returning Penn State receivers (notably Koby Howard) as he did with his Iowa State transfers.

Becht is the most experienced returning quarterback in the FBS, and it shows. A healthy Becht is the centerpiece of Penn State's 2026 offense.

Penn State is in trouble without Becht

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

Alex Manske, Penn State's redshirt freshman transfer from Iowa State, was at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, which Campbell called a "monumental win." The quarterback missed spring drills for a second straight year after undergoing an offseason procedure for an undisclosed injury.

Penn State expects Manske to be healthy for training camp, but he still has not gone through a full spring practice in his career. He missed most spring drills before his freshman season at Iowa State because of an injury. Campbell and Waters really like Manske's potential (he was the highest-rated recruit in their 2025 Cyclones class), but the quarterback just doesn't have the reps at this point.

This spring those reps went to Connor Barry, who was a Division III All-American at Christopher Newport University in Virginia last year. Campbell hyped Barry's progress consistently through spring, calling him perhaps the most surprising player of practice.

"I still don't think you can quantify [what it takes] to be able to play the game of football," Campbell said. "So for Connor to get these reps in 15 days of practice, getting so many quality reps [is huge]."

Barry, a 6-1 left-hander, had his moments during the open practice but looks like a newcomer to Big Ten football. He took a personal leap on coming to Penn State and has made the most of it so far. However, Penn State needs to accelerate its QB2 development through the summer and into training camp.

The two freshmen are freshmen

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

Freshman quarterbacks Kase Evans and Peyton Falzone had some understandable grip issues (as did their receivers) in the rain during the open practice. They further had some processing challenges during spring, also understandable for players who should be in their last semesters of high school.

Evans and Falzone enrolled early, an imperative for college quarterbacks today but even moreso at Penn State this season. With Becht limited and Manske out, Barry could get only so many live snaps. So more went to Evans and Falzone, which Campbell noted like a coach familiar with guiding freshmen.

"There’s been youthful moments, which, that's what you’re going to get from quarterbacks who should still probably be in high school," Campbell said. "But those guys also have grown and will need to continue to know grow forward."

Interestingly, Falzone wore the standard blue offensive jersey while the other quarterbacks wore purple for non-contact. Campbell said he did this to give Falzone (6-5, 14) a chance to run during the scrimmage periods.

"We really kind of took the purple jersey [off him] because he's had some impressive moments in the spring where he can run with the football and do some different things," Campbell said. "How can that guy help us down the road as we continue to move forward?"

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