Penn State Quarterback Rocco Becht on Local Fame, His Fall Class and His Dad Hanging Out With the Team

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht is the most prominent transfer from Iowa State this past offseason. Other than head coach Matt Campbell, of course.

In three seasons at Iowa State, Becht started 39 consecutive games for the Cyclones and Campbell, winning 26, and threw for over 9,200 yards and 64 touchdowns. A talented star QB with a good share of in-person charisma, Becht will no doubt be the face of the Nittany Lions’ offense, if not the overall team, in 2026. He’s a lock to be a team captain, and this week he was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list.

But, to hear Becht talk on Thursday during an interview with a few local media members, he’s not yet a household name — or face — in State College. Though I think that will change.

To get a sense of who Becht is, beyond the on-field X’s and O’s, here are four downs to get a look at what the oft-smiling, fairly-chill Florida native is all about as a starting QB on a Big Ten campus and in a college town.

1.) IS HE RECOGNIZED BY PENN STATE FANS? “No, I’m not. I’m super low-key to start with. I’m not really going out downtown or on campus a lot. The only time I’m going down there is to Local Whiskey or a couple of other spots there I love. Super low-key guy. I just love this town and the people who are here.”

2.) HIS FALL CLASS SCHEDULE: “I graduated with a communications degree from Iowa State and I came over here. I’m in a grad program — an organizational development and change program. Leadership classes, working in small-group type of classes. I’m doing that right now.

“In the fall I’ll have a class online. After that, I’ll get a certificate and then I’m able to pursue to my master’s with those 12 credits. I don’t know what [class this fall], we haven’t picked it yet. We have to do that this coming week with school starting next week. I’m in one class. I guess it’s the props of being graduated and being in a fifth-year.”

3.) HIS DAD, ANTHONY, SPENT SOME TIME WITH THE TEAM THIS SUMMER. Anthony Becht is a former first-round draft pick who played 11 years as a tight end in the NFL. These days, Anthony is the head coach of the UFL Orlando Storm. “It’s honestly really cool for me. He’s done it the past three years now. He doesn’t sit in on the quarterback meetings. He’s usually sitting in on the tight end meetings, the O-line meetings. He loves to hear about football, about blocking schemes and all that good stuff. It’s honestly great to have him here. He was living in my townhome while I was in the [team] hotel, so he had a free place to stay.”

4.) PENN STATE’S 2026 OFFENSIVE IDENTITY VS. IOWA’S STATE IN 2025: “It’s two different teams. You know, last year it was a team that had already been built. The culture was already set, the standard was already set. And now here, this is a team where we are trying to grow those things, to implement those expectations and culture into this team. So, two completely different situations.

“I think this team has something special. We have the talent, we have the people. Now we just have to bring everything together. And that’s what fall camp is for — these types of days, rainy days, to go out there and communicate, be on top of one another. These types of practices are what bring us closer together.”