Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht declared his intent to enter the Transfer Portal come January. It's no surprise that he plans to transfer from the Cyclones with head coach Matt Campbell now in Happy Valley. On top of Campbell being at Penn State, so is Iowa State quarterbacks coach Jake Waters who followed the head coach over.
Latest QB expected to hit the Transfer Portal isn't all good news for Penn State
Though Campbell shouldn't be tunnel-visioned on Becht once the portal opens on Jan. 2, all signs are pointing towards him joining the Nittany Lions' roster very early in the new year. It's an expected and unsurprising move. However, unlike Campbell, Becht only needs to worry about the 2026 season.
The redshirt junior has one year of eligibility remaining. His performance dipped slightly in 2025 compared to 2023 and 2024, but he's a quarterback Campbell can build his 2026 roster around. A strong offensive leader paired with a seemingly cakewalk schedule will make Campbell look like the answer to all of Penn State's recent problems.
Then 2027 rolls around. With it comes another question mark at who's starting at quarterback.
The Transfer Portal is loaded with quarterback talent from those who already declared intent to enter in January. The top names, though, aren't going to settle for a backup role with the "hope" of starting in 2027. Some are like Becht, too, and won't even be around after the 2026 season. In a perfect world, Campbell plucks talent around the quarterback pool while still keeping Becht in the spotlight for his redshirt senior season. That's not going to happen.
The Nittany Lions have incoming freshman Peyton Falzone who signed during the Early Signing Period before Campbell was hired. For the sake of depth, it's crucial Campbell keeps Falzone on the roster. However, it's not guaranteed he'll be ready to take on the sole starting role after his true freshman season where he'll likely not see playing time on Saturdays.
Ethan Grunkemeyer, on the other hand, already proved he can comfortably step up to the challenge when suddenly thrown into a starting position. He's not perfect and he's not Penn State's 2026 starter, especially with the Transfer Portal talent he's up against, but he's reliable and has experience. Grunkemeyer slowly improved week by week since starting against Iowa in the regular season. His performances were promising for the future of the program if he's given the tools and development he needs to succeed.
It's also a little out of reach for Grunkemeyer to expect a starting role, not just at Penn State. This was the case even before Drew Allar got hurt. What works in Grunkemeyer's favor, if he stays, is his eligibility remaining. The redshirt freshman played in one game in 2024 and 10 in 2025, meaning he has three years left. If he stays a backup quarterback again, he can be a good role model for Falzone, a reliable option behind Becht or whoever Campbell plucks out of the portal, and maintain his eligibility.
Grunkemeyer can buy time if he wants it, and Campbell can't not think about what comes after 2026.