Reports: Iowa State QB Rocco Becht joining coach Matt Campbell at Penn State
Becht passed for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Cyclones last season. His father was an NFL tight end.
The transfer portal officially opened on Friday, and Penn State already has its next quarterback.
According to several reports, former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is joining coach Matt Campbell at Penn State. Becht entered the transfer portal a few weeks after Campbell departed Ames, Iowa, for the Penn State job on Dec. 5.
The link between Becht and Penn State was obvious, considering Campbell and his staff’s familiarity with the quarterback. In 2025, Becht passed for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns in his third year starting under Campbell at Iowa State. Becht, a native of Wesley Chapel, Fla., was a three-star recruit in high school, according to 247Sports.
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Across three years starting for the Cyclones, Becht totaled 9,274 yards and 64 touchdowns in 39 starts. In addition to reuniting with Campbell, Becht will be rejoining Jake Waters, his quarterbacks coach at Iowa State who holds the same position at Penn State, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser.
Becht joins several other former Iowa State players to follow Campbell to Penn State. The list includes tight end Benjamin Brahmer, offensive lineman Will Tompkins, safety Marcus Neal Jr., wide receiver Brett Eskildsen, backup quarterback Alex Manske, and running back Carson Hansen. Eskildsen was Iowa State’s leading receiver last year, while Hansen was the team’s leading rusher.
The move became more likely after Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer entered the portal on Thursday. Grunkemeyer started the final seven games for the Nittany Lions after Drew Allar was lost to a season-ending injury. He had his best performance in the Pinstripe Bowl game win, throwing for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Grunkemeyer finished the season completing 69.1% of his passes, with eight touchdowns and 1,339 yards.
Campbell and Becht led Iowa State to its most successful two-year stint in program history with 19 wins in 2024 and 2025. Last year was the first time the program eclipsed double-digit victories.
Iowa State’s passing game with Becht at the helm ranked 50th nationally in 2023 (245 yards per game), 39th in 2024 (255.7), and 73rd in 2025 as the quarterback battled through a partial labrum tear in his non-throwing shoulder. According to ESPN, Becht underwent labrum surgery on Dec. 11.
Becht joins Penn State’s quarterback corps alongside Jack Lambert and new addition Manske. Along with Grunkemeyer, Jaxon Smolik and Bekkem Kritza also entered the portal.
Becht’s father, Anthony, played in the NFL for 12 years and is a Drexel Hill native and Monsignor Bonner High graduate. He played tight end and was a first-round pick by the Jets in 2000, and also played for the Buccaneers, Rams, Chiefs, and Cardinals. Anthony is now the head coach of the Orlando Storm of the United Football League.