In addition to new position coach Jake Waters, Penn State’s quarterback room features five new faces.
As spring practices roll on, Waters is acclimating to coaching at a new school while evaluating the state of the room. Though he worked with Rocco Becht and Alex Manske at Iowa State, those two are recovering from injury.
While speaking to reporters inside the Lasch Building on Tuesday morning, Waters shared updates on the group.
Rocco Becht
Becht’s postseason shoulder injury prevented him from throwing for roughly four months, and while he’s begun throwing again, he’s been restricted to routes on air for the time being.
Becht has been held out of live reps, but he’ll soon begin seven-on-seven action as spring ball continues and he hits checkpoints set by the medical staff. In the meantime, the veteran has been providing input to the younger quarterbacks during 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.”
Alex Manske
Penn State’s presumptive backup, Manske is also dealing with injury and is behind Becht in the recovery timeline.
The Iowa native is currently back in his home state, unable to participate in practice. Instead, he attends meetings through Zoom and watches film on his iPad to stay connected.
“He wants to be playing and practicing right now, and he’s just, he’s been awesome, and we expect him to be back for fall camp, for sure,” Waters said. “But he’s doing awesome, though; he’s in a great spirit.”
Connor Barry
The Christopher Newport transfer put up impressive numbers at the Division III level across the last few seasons, and that experience shines through during practice. With Becht out for certain drills and Manske unavailable, Barry has also earned first-team reps for portions of practice.
“There’s still areas he’s got to grow, but you can tell he’s played football,” Waters said. “He’s played a lot of football, so it’s slowed down, slower than it is for the younger guys. But he’s continuing to get better. He’s using every resource here to get a ton better too.”
Waters estimated Barry has taken 300-400 reps on the team’s virtual reality equipment, which allows him to simulate plays against different defensive coverages. They can then determine whether or not he’s making the right reads and adjust accordingly.
Waters didn’t have access to VR technology at Iowa State, and the first time he strapped on the headset he “almost threw up,” but it proved useful for Barry and the other players.
Peyton Falzone and Kase Evans
Penn State signed two freshmen quarterbacks in the 2026 class, four-star Falzone and former Iowa State commit Evans, a three-star out of Texas.
Though both are just beginning their college careers, Waters has seen substantial improvement through the first four practices. Unlike Barry, the game still moves fast for them, but Waters described both as “really talented guys.”
“They got to continue to learn, like just from operation and getting the snap, getting everyone lined up, getting our eyes in the right spot … it’s a work in progress for anyone to learn a new offense, and let alone a guy that still should be going to prom here soon,” Waters said.
