Three Reasons for Concern: Penn State Offense
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We’re back with one of our favorite Summer time series where we give three reasons for optimism and concern for Penn State football’s offense, defense, and special teams. Today, we address the concerns for Nittany Lion offense heading into the 2026 season.
- Quarterback Depth
Rocco Becht has more starts than any quarterback in the nation heading into 2026. He’s found varying levels of success over the last several seasons at Iowa State, and understands the offensive system inside and out. But what’s the plan is Becht is unavailable at some point this fall? Alex Manske is the likely candidate to inherit the QB1 spot in 2026, but he is recovering from an injury and his availability is up in the air, not to mention the missed reps that are crucial for a quarterback coming off his first season. Connor Barry received praise for picking up the slack in spring ball, but is taking a gigantic leap from Division III, even if he earned second-team All-American honors. Peyton Falzone has potential, but likely needs more development before he finds success against Big Ten defenses.
There’s also the issue of Becht coming off shoulder surgery and the fact that he isn’t afraid to run the ball despite being just over 6-foot and 200 lbs. He’ll also be facing more physical defenses than during his time at Iowa State. All Penn State fans need to keep their fingers crossed that Becht can stay on the field, as the offense could suffer a major dip without him under center.
2. Inexperience at Offensive Line
Penn State lost four of its five starters from an experienced offensive line in 2025, including Vega Ioane, the 14th overall draft pick. There is reason to be optimistic about the return of Anthony Donkoh and Cooper Cousins, but there are many others who will need to learn fast. Malachi Goodman and Donnie Harbour are among some of the highly-touted prospects that lack experience, but will likely be depended upon in 2026. Center Brock Riker has been earning rave reviews over the offseason, but will be transitioning to the Big Ten after one year at Texas State.
The success of any offensive line also comes down to how well the five players on the field are playing as one. This group lacks the familiarity to give any indication of how they will fit together this fall. It will be vital for the offensive line to gel quickly if they want to be an effective unit once conference play begins in late September.
3. Adjusting to Big 10 Defenses
It’s not a controversial take to declare that defenses are much better in the Big 10 than the Big 12. The latter is known for regular shootouts, with defenses being nearly non-existent at times. Becht and company will be facing much stiffer defenses with more NFL-ready players than during their time in Ames. It may be the adjustment for all the Iowa State transplants, both on the field and in the staff. New offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser is certainly closely studying the differences in schematics and personnel with the new defenses he will be preparing for in the Big 10. The things that worked against Big 12 defenses likely won’t come nearly as easy in this new reality.
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