Iowa State transfer QB Rocco Becht to visit Penn State, Matt Campbell
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According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is set to visit Penn State in the coming days. This would reunite Becht with his former head coach, Matt Campbell. Potentially one of the first big dominoes to fall in the NCAA transfer portal.
“Former Iowa State QB Rocco Becht tells ESPN he’s preparing to visit Penn State in the upcoming days,” Thamel said via X. “Now that he’ll officially be in the portal, a deal at Penn State reuniting him with his former coaching staff could come together quickly.”
Becht announced his intentions to leave Iowa State shortly after Campbell took the Penn State job. The last three years in Ames have seen Becht as the starting quarterback, finding a great deal of success. While the overall numbers took a dip in 2025, the Nittany Lions still have to feel like a top QB is coming to town.
In 12 games, Becht threw for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The year prior saw him just surpass 3,500 yards with 25 touchdowns and the same nine picks. Campbell is hoping to unlock that version of Becht, making the jump from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
“We’re gonna look back at this season, which had a lot of lows and a lot of highs,” Becht said following Iowa State‘s season-ending 20-13 win against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29. “I’m super proud of this team because it’s really hard to go through a four-game losing streak and come back and win four games in a row.”
The On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings place Becht as a four-star prospect and No. 24 overall at the time of posting. Eight quarterbacks are slated ahead of him at the moment. But the one thing rankings cannot account for his the familiarity between Becht and the coaching staff.
Penn State will open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Marshall inside Beaver Stadium. Campbell is hoping to start off his tenure strong, getting three games before dipping his toe into Big Ten play. A lot will happen between now and then, as a rebuild is beginning to take shape for the Nittany Lions.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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