Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht has received a significant outlook after arriving via the transfer portal.
The second Matt Campbell took the Penn State Nittany Lions head-coaching job, everyone wondered if he would be bringing his old Iowa State Cyclones quarterback with him.
Sure enough, Campbell did just that, stealing Rocco Becht away from Iowa State in the transfer portal and will have him starting under center next fall.
ESPN's Tom Lugibill recently ranked the best fits in the transfer portal this winter, and he placed the Becht to Penn State move 17th while dropping a head-turning outlook for the signal-caller.
"They're going to face new challenges together in their first year in the Big Ten, and Campbell and his staff have a ton of work to do to reload this roster with a portal haul that should feature a ton of Iowa State players," Lugibill wrote. "When he's healthy and at his best, Becht can certainly be one of the Big Ten's top passers."
Becht had a very disappointing campaign in 2025, throwing for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 60.5 percent of his passes. So expecting him to be one of the best quarterbacks in one of the country's top two conferences is a tall order.
Rocco Becht. Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images.However, it should be noted that Becht dealt with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder this past season, as well as a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
And in 2024, Becht totaled 3,505 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine picks through the air while also racking up 318 yards and eight scores as a rusher.
Perhaps a healthy, rejuvenated Becht will reach those numbers again next season, and it helps that Campbell also landed former Iowa State running back Carson Hansen, four ex-Cyclones wide receivers to provide and a pair of former Iowa State tight ends for Becht's comfort.
The Nittany Lions entered this past year with national championship aspirations but were instead the most underwhelming team in college football, going 3-6 over their first nine games and firing head coach James Franklin.
Penn State ended up finishing 7-6 with a win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl, but it definitely felt like a hollow victory given the expectations in Happy Valley heading into the campaign.
We'll see if Campbell can turn things around for the Nittany Lions in 2026 and if Becht will be at the forefront of a potential revitalization.