Penn State Top 25 players for 2026: Rocco Becht

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Penn State's 2026 season will feature a completely overhauled roster following an offseason of significant transition. A coaching change led to a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, which led to a number of new faces on the program. We have taken some time to profile each player on the roster this season, but now it is time to dig a little deeper on the 25 players who will play the largest roles on the roster.

Today we begin with a look at starting quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht transferred from Iowa State, where he was a three-year starter for the Cyclones, and he steps into the leading role on offense right away for Penn State.

2025 in review

Rocco Becht played in all 12 games for Iowa State last season, in which he played a role in guiding the Cyclones to an 8-4 season. Things started off well for Becht and Iowa State with a 5-0 start to the year, including a season-opening victory against Kansas State in Ireland in which he passed for two touchdowns and ran for one more in a 24-21 win. Iowa State ran into a bump in the road with a four-game losing streak in the middle of the year, and Becht did have some struggles in a few of those games. Most notably, Becht was picked off three times in a 41-27 loss to BYU after Iowa State jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the first quarter.

Becht ended his 2025 season with 2,584 passing yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for eight more touchdowns. He earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors once. Becht ranks first in Iowa State history with the most consecutive games with a passing touchdown and the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.

Biggest question for 2026

In a season full of question marks for Penn State and the offense, the focus must begin at the quarterback position. Rocco Becht is as solid a replacement given the circumstances as you could have hoped for as a Penn State fan, as Becht was one of the top-rated quarterbacks on the transfer market this past offseason. Continuing to play for Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters gives Becht a great chance to provide stability for the Penn State offense despite the massive changes.

But is Becht good enough to lead Penn State into a College Football Playoff push? With the 12-team format and the way Penn State's schedule is laid out, a good year from Becht could help keep Penn State's playoff hopes alive well into November.

2026 will be a success if…

Expecting Rocco Becht to come in and rewrite the Penn State passing record book would be a bit much to ask, but a 3,000-yard season would certainly feel like a success for this season. It would almost certainly be a good rebound year for Becht after failing to hit the 3,000-yard mark last season after throwing for over 3,000 yards in each of the previous two seasons (with the benefit of additional postseason games between bowl games and the Big 12 championship game). But leading Penn State to a 2-1 record in the higher-profile games against Michigan, USC, and Washington would be quite the success.

2026 will be a disappointment if…

If the 2026 offense looks and performs at the same level as recent Penn State offenses, this season will be a disappointment. Penn State has had some good play at the quarterback position over the years, but something tends to hit some snags against the top competition. If that trend continues with Becht this season and his worst performances come against Michigan and USC, then we are heading to another season of good but not great football in Happy Valley. A season with fewer than 2,700 passing yards and a long time to develop any passing chemistry with receivers would be unpleasant to see.

Realistic outlook for 2026

Rocco Becht should come in and command respect from the start, and Penn State will have Becht and the offense in a good spot to get on a roll early on. The schedule is accommodating for a veteran QB to lead a reworked offense, and the benefit of having so many familiar faces from Iowa State surrounding him and playing alongside him will create a sense of stability for Becht and the entire offense. Do not expect Becht to lead Penn State to a Big Ten championship and national title run, but it is entirely possible to be in the hunt for a spot in the Big Ten championship game if things go well.

The biggest hurdles will be road trips to Michigan and Washington, along wiht the big home game against USC. These will be the make-or-break games for Penn State and any hope of playing in the College Football Playoff. Having Becht at quarterback helps the cause, but expecting him to be lights out against the top defenses on the schedule is a bit much.

Becht should be able to pass for 2,750 yards and touchdowns, which would be right in the ballpark of his typical results the past three years. But he may also be on the hook for about 6-8 interceptions thrown, and those could come at costly times. He will add at least six rushing touchdowns for good measure too.

Kevin McGuire is the lead writer for Nittany Lions Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on BlueSky, Threads or any of these other platforms.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State Top 25 players for 2026: Rocco Becht

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