The Penn State Nittany Lions and head coach Matt Campbell have finally landed their starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
After a complete overhaul of the Penn State Nittany Lions’ football program this offseason, head coach Matt Campbell and the struggling Big 10 Conference member has finally received some clarity regarded the team’s quarterback position.
According to On3Sports’ Hayes Fawcett, former Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht has committed to Penn State on Sunday evening after recently entering the transfer portal.
Becht, a former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, has been the starting quarterback for Campbell over the past three seasons. During the stretch, the veteran playmaker threw for 9,274 yards and 64 touchdowns. In addition to his efforts through the air, Becht also picked up 499 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on 247 carries.
The news should not come as a surprise to Nittany Lions fans, as Becht was automatically forecasted to land with his former head coach once he entered the portal. Shortly after Becht’s decision, the program’s most recent quarterback, Ethan Grunkemeyer, announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.
While Becht’s commitment continues to grab the attention, Campbell also managed to land former 2025 four-star quarterback Alex Manske on Sunday. Manske was the No. 2 player in the state of Iowa and was projected to be next in line behind Becht for the Cyclones.
Now, with both Becht and Manske in State College for 2026, Campbell has slowly built up his squad for the upcoming season. This marks seven players that the newly-hired head coach has landed in the portal, with all the players coming way from Iowa State.
Two other names that will likely play a key role next year are safety Marcus Neal Jr. and tight end Benjamin Brahmer.
Neal, in his last two seasons with the Cyclones, racked up 95 tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, and two sacks. With safety Zakee Wheatley expected to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, adding Neal is a perfect replacement in the secondary for Wheatley.
As for Brahmer, the former highly-touted high school recruit finished his 2025 campaign with 446 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 37 catches.