What makes QB Rocco Becht good for Penn State football in 2026?

STATE COLLEGE ― The new Penn State football quarterback had the toughest 2025 season.

Which only proved his startling resilience and winning mojo even more.

Rocco Becht did his best playing through and after issues with his left shoulder, his right shoulder and a concussion.

He was with Iowa State then. Of course, he followed head coach Matt Campbell to Penn State in the offseason and is expected to lead some kind of 2026 revival.

“He’s one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around,” Campbell said on Wednesday during a National Signing Day press conference here. “This poor guy had to play with a torn labrum on his non-throwing shoulder. He had to get shot up every Tuesday and Wednesday just to practice the last four weeks … and the guy gave us every chance to win every one of those games, every step of the way.

“He’s as tough and as competitive as any football player I’ve ever been around.”

Becht was a three-year starter at Iowa State and one of the most valued quarterbacks in the transfer portal. His 26 career victories make him the winningest returning QB in the FBS this year.

He completed 61% of his passes, throwing for 9,209 yards and 64 touchdowns over those last three seasons. In 2024, he led Iowa State to its first 11-win season, throwing for 3,505 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns (25 passing, 8 running).

Why quarterback Rocco Becht came to Penn State football

His landing spot made sense. At Penn State, he’ll be the unqualified starter on his biggest stage yet with familiar coaches in Campbell, former Iowa State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, QB coach Jake Waters and members of his ISU training staff.

He’s a 3.6 grade-point average business student who will take grad school courses at Penn State, Campbell said.

He’s a “servant leader,” who will positively impact the State College community away from the football field and will pull his teammates to victories on it, according to new Penn State defensive backs coach Deon Broomfield.

Becht led the Cyclones to three season-ending victories, and eight overall, last year despite all of those injury issues.

“He’s a guy (who), until the last second ticks off, you’re always going to feel like you have a chance,” Mouser said. “He’s a guy when you’re playing him in the driveway, no next goal wins. You win, he’ll run it back. He’ll go until he wins.

“I love the inspiration he provides on our team because he won’t be outworked. … He’s always with different guys, throwing with different guys. He lives in the training room. Just being around that guy provides confidence in everyone because of what he brings, who’s he’s about.

“He checks all the boxes, just from a character standpoint. I have a daughter. If she marries someone like Rocco it will be the win of the century.”

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: What Matt Campbell thinks of QB Rocco Becht for Penn State football