Quarterback Rocco Becht transferred from Iowa State, following head coach Matt Campbell to Happy Valley and opting to spend his final collegiate season as a Nittany Lion. With quarterbacks Drew Allar, Ethan Grunkemeyer, and Jaxson Smolik leaving the program either due to eligibility or via the portal, Penn State football needed a reliable starter with experience.
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Becht is exactly what the program needed in order to build a solid foundation in year one of Campbell's tenure. Over the offseason, however, Becht needed shoulder surgery. He underwent surgery in Dec. 2025 for a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which is his non-throwing shoulder.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht is "ahead of schedule" in recovery from shoulder surgery
According to Penn State Nittany Lions On SI, Becht's recovery is going well and is even ahead of schedule. Mark Wogenrich reported that he will still likely not be a full participant in spring drills.
"He a little bit ahead of schedule right now," quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said of Becht's recovery. "He'll start running and doing some things here in the next week or so. And then shortly after that, start a little throwing program."
During the last four weeks of the 2025 season, Becht received shots every Tuesday and Wednesday in order to practice. He didn't miss a single start, and his dedication to the program and the sport in general spoke volumes to Campbell.
"The guy gave us every chance to win every one of those games every step of the way," Campbell said. "He's as tough and as competitive as any football player I've ever been around."
Becht is on track to start throwing roughly halfway through the spring and will remain no-contact. Campbell said he anticipates him throwing during the Blue-White Spring Game. The date for the scrimmage has not been set, but Campbell said it will happen. Typically the spring game occurs towards the end of April.
While Becht continues recovering, the rest of the quarterback room has an opportunity to adjust to the program and get undivided attention from the staff. This includes redshirt freshman Alex Manske, who also transferred from Iowa State and is more than likely Becht's backup in 2026, incoming freshman Peyton Falzone, incoming freshman Kase Evans, and senior Connor Barry, who transferred from the Division III level.