A veteran transfer quarterback faces a challenging ranking, with an injury impacting his spring and raising questions about Penn State's season outlook.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht was a big transfer this offseason.
Becht came over with new head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State. He helped lead the Cyclones to an 8-4 record last season and will be the starter for the Nittany Lions in Week 1.
Becht suffered an injury to both of his shoulders last season. While recovering from surgery, he's been limited at practice this spring and will not go live until at least training camp this summer.
How Penn State does this season will largely depend on how Becht plays.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports recently released his rankings for college quarterbacks. He ranked Becht at No. 21 and No. 6 in the Big Ten, well below where ESPN has the team ranked at No. 15 after spring football.
"One of the rare four-year starters at the college level, Becht should make Penn State coach Matt Campbell feel better about his first-year offense in Happy Valley after convincing his veteran from Iowa State to join him," Crawford wrote.
"Becht's numbers were nearly cut in half as a junior from a statistical look, primarily due to some of the targets who left the Cyclones. The Florida native's best season thus far came in 2024 when he helped Iowa State reach the Big 12 title game after throwing for 3,505 yards and 25 scores."
Becht will be a little behind in working with his new Penn State teammates, which is a cause for concern before training camp. In the meantime, PSU quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said Becht was taking mental reps during spring practice.
“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.”
Becht has experience on his side, and that should help the Nittany Lions by the time they play the toughest part of their schedule against Michigan, USC, and Washington.
For PSU to be a legit CFP contender, Becht will need to rise in the quarterback rankings.