Penn State eyes Alex Manske as their future star, a talented freshman poised to lead them after Rocco Becht's departure, aiming for playoff contention.
In 2026, Penn State will go as far as quarterback Rocco Becht can take them.
The former Iowa State quarterback followed head coach Matt Campbell to Penn State this offseason. Becht threw for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025, his junior season.
Becht will have one year with PSU, but then Campbell will need to find another signal-caller to lead the program to what he hopes is a College Football Playoff appearance in the future.
The Nittany Lions think redshirt freshman Alex Manske could be that guy. He went 4-of-5 for 28 yards last season at Iowa State before choosing to transfer to play for Campbell in State College.
Penn State quarterbacks coach Jake Waters believes Alex Manske has the tools to be a force in college football.
“He’s a really, really talented player,” he said, via PennLive. “He’s a big, athletic, tough guy that cares a lot about football, that wants to be really, really great.
“He’s just a great kid, a great quarterback. How you want your quarterback to be: unselfish, tough, all about the team. Knows where he’s at, knows where he needs to get better, but always going to work his butt off to get there.”
Waters was ISU's quarterbacks coach in 2024 and 2025, so he has experience working with Becht and Menske. Waters believes Menske showed a lot of growth last season.
“The growth was incredible,” Waters said. “He took his lumps, just like any freshman would.
"But just learning how to be a college quarterback is where he grew the most... He just needs to double down and continue to learn the whole big picture of being an elite college quarterback.”
Penn State took 23 players from Iowa State in the transfer portal. For the Nittany Lions to have success in 2026, they're going to have to lean on players that were recruited out of high school to play in the Big 12.
Indiana had success with transfers, winning a national championship with numerous players head coach Curt Cignetti brought with him from James Madison.
Menske could be a quarterback from ISU that tips the scales for PSU in 2027.