Three games into the season, Rocco Becht isn’t getting the national attention that other quarterbacks are receiving. But according to some pretty credible voices, that might be college football’s biggest oversight. The Iowa State Cyclones signal-caller has quietly put together one of the most impressive starts in the country, and now former championship-winning coaches are taking notice.
How Has Rocco Becht Started the 2024 Season?
It has been an excellent start to the season for quarterback Becht and his Iowa State Cyclones.
The Cyclones kicked off the season before anyone else, winning an extremely important conference game by defeating the Kansas State Wildcats 24-21 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. That victory gave them a huge leg up in the Big 12.
Becht finished the day just 14-of-28, but had 183 yards and two touchdowns while avoiding any interceptions.
The Cyclones have since dominated South Dakota 55-7 and took down the rival Iowa Hawkeyes with a late field goal to earn a 16-13 victory and claim the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy.
On the season, Becht is 51-of-75 (68.0%) with 595 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. He’s also rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Why Does Jimbo Fisher Believe Rocco Becht Is “Playing As Good As Any Quarterback In This Country”?
Appearing on XM Radio, former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher discussed Becht’s play with Jacob Hester, who was a running back for Fisher when he was offensive coordinator at LSU, and EJ Manuel, a quarterback under Fisher at Florida State.
“We’re talking about all these other quarterbacks and there are some great ones across the country,” Hester said. “I think it’s the year of the quarterback. We talk about like 10 other guys before we mention his name but everything you were saying I’m like you know who has that is Rocco.”
“He’s going to put them in a situation to be successful every single week because of it,” Hester added.
“We talk about like 10 other guys before we mention his name.”@JacobHester18, @EJManuel3, and Jimbo Fisher think @CycloneFB QB Rocco Becht is the most underrated QB in the country.
🎧https://t.co/LYQpiBEHZ1 pic.twitter.com/hd7msIi40Q
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) September 11, 2025
“Well listen, four-year starter,” Fisher replied. “Guy’s seen a lot of action.”
Fisher went on to credit Becht’s father, former West Virginia and NFL tight end Anthony Becht, for a lot of his success.
“Dad was an NFL player,” Fisher said. “Dad was a coach in the league. There’s a lot of little intangibles.”
The football bloodlines run deep. Becht’s father played 11 NFL seasons for the New York Jets, who took him with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, plus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs. He’s currently the head coach of the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL.
Becht’s athleticism and pure arm talent have been questioned by some, but that doesn’t seem to bother Fisher or his former players.
“It doesn’t matter, what’s the production,” Fisher explained. “He just plays the game, doesn’t panic. He understands that mistake, how to fix things, how to adjust in a game. You’re right, Rocco Becht, the way he’s playing, is playing as good as any quarterback in this country.”
Manuel agreed, saying Becht doesn’t “do the rat trap,” meaning he stays in the framework of the offense, a term that Manuel learned from Fisher. Manuel went further, explaining that Becht’s mental approach is what’s leading to his success.
“You still need to be an athlete but at the same time, you still have to have that mindset to win from the pocket as well and that’s what Rocco Becht has,” Manuel said.
Becht and the Cyclones will look to start the season 4-0 when they take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Saturday. Kickoff is 4 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN2.
