Happy Valley has become Ames East. Now that he has settled into his new digs at Penn State, Matt Campbell is bringing much of his Iowa State coaching staff with him. It was already reported that his longtime defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock, would be joining him, but on Thursday, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, and secondary defensive coordinator Deon Broomfield were all added to the Penn State directory.
Broomfield has done an excellent job developing Iowa State’s defensive backs, including star sophomore Marcus Neal Jr., who should be one of Penn State’s top targets in the transfer portal, but adding Mouser is the most significant of the three moves.
First, it means that Andy Kotelnicki, who ran the offense in Penn State for the past two seasons after leaving Kansas and his longtime boss, Lance Leipold, will likely be out. Kotelnicki will presumably move on soon, as former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles did, taking the same title at Tennessee.
Second, it gives a hint into what Campbell’s transfer portal plans will look like, especially at the most important position on the field.
Taylor Mouser’s arrival at Penn State could mean Rocco Becht is next
Redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer impressed in his six-game stint to end the 2025 season after Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury. His upside remains fairly high, but there are reasons not to trust the former four-star as a Day 1 starter next season. One of which is a lack of familiarity with Mouser’s pro-style offense.
Nobody in college football is more familiar with Mouser’s system than Iowa State redshirt junior QB Rocco Becht, who still has one season of eligibility remaining. The three-year starter led the Cyclones to the Big 12 Title game in 2024 with 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing to future NFL wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
After Higgins and Noel left for the league, Becht’s numbers tailed off throughout Iowa State’s 8-4 2025 campaign. Still, he managed to throw for over 2,500 yards, complete over 60 percent of his throws, and add 16 touchdowns to his nine interceptions. Becht also ran for eight scores in 2025.
The 6-foot-1, son of Anthony Becht, a former NFL tight end and West Virginia Mountaineer, does not have gaudy physical traits that will make him a highly sought-after NFL prospect, but like Brock Purdy before him, he’s experienced, poised, and an accurate thrower.
A familiar pairing between play-caller and quarterback would help to ease the transition for Campbell, who spent the last 10 seasons in Ames, and considering how many pieces of his staff he’s bringing to Happy Valley, it would stand to reason that he’s interested in bringing more than a few players with him as well.