Injuries sideline top Penn State QBs. Coach Jake Waters details the progress of a Division III transfer stepping up amidst the turmoil.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are facing challenges at quarterback during their 15 spring practices.
Starting quarterback Rocco Becht, a transfer from Iowa State, is doing some non-contact drills at practices while he recovers from two shoulder injuries that he suffered in 2025.
Becht is expected to return for training camp, but he'll be behind in gaining connections with his receivers this spring.
With Becht out, backup quarterback and fellow ISU transfer Alex Manske was expected to lead PSU this spring, but he's out of practice with an undisclosed injury.
Division III transfer Connor Barry is leading the Nittany Lions this spring amid injuries to the top two quarterbacks.
On Wednesday, PSU quarterbacks coach Jake Waters provided some updates on the quarterback situation. He suggested Barry is showing he's experienced, but still has plenty of room to grow.
“There’s still areas he’s got to grow, but you can tell he’s played football,” Waters said, via statecollege.com. “He’s played a lot of football, so it’s slowed down, slower than it is for the younger guys.
"But he’s continuing to get better. He’s using every resource here to get a ton better too?"
Waters suggested Manske is disappointed he cannot be out at spring practice but remains in good spirits, hoping to return for training camp.
These 15 practices would have been a great opportunity for Manske, as he would have gotten reps with the first team, something that could be big as he's expected to become the starter in 2027.
Becht is expected to return for 7-on-7 drills soon, but he hasn't been able to do more than routes on air so far.
Waters noted that Becht has been taking mental reps during practices.
“The biggest thing he’s doing, he’s standing behind the quarterback every time we take a play and doing the footwork, going through the read, going through the rep,” Waters said.
“He’s an extra coach on the field right now, in the meeting room, he’s doing an incredible job.”
It's fair to say Penn State is a little behind at quarterback during spring practice, which is not a good place to be for a program that could be in the running for the CFP thanks to a favorable schedule.