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Penn State has its quarterback for the 2026 college football season. Rocco Becht signed with the Nittany Lions through the transfer portal, according to CBS Sports' Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz, and projects as their starter for his final year of eligibility. The longtime Iowa State standout will follow coach Matt Campbell to the Big Ten after Campbell took the Penn State job last month.

Becht's arrival should help Penn State hit the ground running offensively in Year 1 of the Campbell era. He is a veteran, high-end passer who garnered four-star status in the transfer portal and is 247Sports' No. 8-ranked transfer quarterback for the 2026 cycle. Becht is the No. 25 player overall in the portal, which opened on Jan. 2.

Over a four-year period at Iowa State, Becht re-wrote the Cyclones' record books as the most prolific freshman quarterback in school history, led the team in 2024 to its first double-digit-win season and concluded his career as a program legend. He was among the Big 12's most outstanding signal-callers throughout his time in Ames and will immediately become one of the Big Ten's most highly regarded quarterbacks upon arrival at Penn State.

Aiding in Becht's transition to Penn State is the staff continuity he will enjoy with Campbell as head coach and Taylor Mouser as offensive coordinator. Mouser oversaw the Iowa State offense for the last two years and was on staff for the entirety of Becht's Cyclones career.

Becht regressed statistically during his redshirt junior season but still passed for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions in an 8-4 campaign. He kept the Cyclones in the Big 12 title race despite losing a pair of 1,000-yard receivers to the NFL.

Among the questions facing Penn State as it undergoes a change in leadership is whether its new staff can unlock the downfield passing game and take the offense as a whole to another level. Becht should help in that process, and with the Nittany Lions facing one of the most manageable schedules in the Big Ten next season, he could also set his new program up for immediate improvement in the win column.

Becht is already the fifth former Iowa State player to commit to Penn State. In fact, the entirety of the Nittany Lions' transfer portal recruiting class thus far consists of former Cyclones. Four-star prospects Benjamin Brahmer and Marcus Neal Jr. are at the top of the haul at the tight end and safety positions, respectively, while three-star tight end Gabe Burkle and offensive tackle Will Tompkins round out the newcomers.