UNIVERSITY PARK– When Penn State football hired Matt Campbell to be its next head football coach, people instantly speculated that Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht would be joining him.
Becht played for Campbell for four seasons, during which he threw for 64 touchdowns, 27 interceptions, and 9,274 yards, helping ISU to a Big 12 Championship game appearance in 2024.
The 2025 season didn’t go as well for Becht or Iowa State.
Iowa State started the year hot, rising to No. 12 in the rankings in late September, and many forecasted a return trip to the Big 12 Championship, maybe even a title win and College Football Playoff berth.
Instead, Iowa State finished 8-4– having to win its last five games to accomplish that.
Statistically, Becht had the worst season of his college career, ending with 16 touchdowns (nine fewer than the year before) and nine interceptions.
But also during this time, Becht showed how tough he was.
Every football player competing at the Division I level can say they’re tough.
Not every football player can say they played half the season with a torn labrum, and few can say they had to be, in Campbell’s words, “shot up every Tuesday and Wednesday just to practice” during the last month of the season.
Becht had to go through both things, which justifies his numbers that, from the outside, look pedestrian.
For Campbell, Becht embodies Penn State football.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Integrity, character, class, excellence, grit,” Campbell told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
“I just felt like for me, that was a critical opportunity for him to finish his career with us,” he said. “And with the start of Penn State football, to get someone who I truly believe embodies what the excellence of this football program has stood for, on and off the field. I think those things are critically important.”
Campbell said he feels that coach and quarterback need to be “tied at the hip,” and that describes himself and Becht.
Over Becht’s three seasons as the starting quarterback, Iowa State had the most successful three-year period in program history, winning 26 games.
Those 26 wins make Becht the winningest returning quarterback in the country, and, if all goes according to plan this season, he’ll end up passing Sean Clifford’s career mark of 32 (Clifford would still be the Penn State record holder since Becht would have only played one season in Happy Valley).
The guy who is one win behind Clifford is somebody who Campbell feels Becht is reminiscent of: Trace McSorley.
McSorley is currently on staff at Penn State as assistant quarterbacks coach, and was known in Happy Valley for being everything Campbell described Becht as.
Time will tell if Becht becomes as beloved in Happy Valley as McSorley was, but Campbell knows his college football legacy is already secure.
“One of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around,” Campbell said.
