Matt Campbell not only took the Penn State job, but he’s also bringing Iowa State with him.
In the span of 72 hours, six former Cyclones have committed to Penn State out of the transfer portal, culminating Sunday with the most important piece: quarterback Rocco Becht.
The three-year starter follows his head coach, his offensive coordinator, and his quarterbacks coach to Happy Valley, where he’ll run the same system he’s operated since 2023.
Campbell isn’t building a new program. Instead, one can argue that he’s transplanting one nearly 1,000 miles east of Iowa.
The Cyclone Pipeline to Happy Valley
The exodus began Saturday when tight end Benjamin Brahmer, a top 10 tight end in the entire portal according to PFSN Impact Metrics, committed to Penn State. By Sunday afternoon, he’d been joined by fellow tight end Gabe Burkle, safety Marcus Neal Jr., offensive lineman Will Tompkins, backup quarterback Alex Manske, and finally Becht himself.
Penn State now holds the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country, according to 247Sports’ rankings. The irony isn’t lost on anyone paying attention: Campbell ranked last in the Big 12 in portal recruiting three of the past four years at Iowa State. The difference is resources.
Becht arrives with 9,274 career passing yards and 64 touchdowns across 39 starts. He led Iowa State to 26 wins, including the program’s first 11-win season in 2024 and its second Big 12 Championship Game appearance.
His numbers dipped in 2025, with 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, but he played through a partially torn labrum that required surgery on December 11.
Campbell made clear at his introductory press conference what he values in a quarterback.
“Everybody likes fast, everybody likes arm strength, but those things don’t win,” Campbell said on December 8 at Beaver Stadium. “What wins is grit, toughness, character, and the ability to lead others around.”
Becht embodies that description. Following Iowa State’s four-game losing streak in October, Becht remained focused on wins over individual performance, a mindset he’s carried throughout his career.
MORE: PFSN’s College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
After the Cyclones closed the regular season with three straight victories, Becht expressed pride in his team’s resilience.
“It’s really hard to go through a four-game losing streak and come back and win,” Becht said.
The reunion makes schematic sense. Becht will work again with offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, who called him “like another offensive coach on our staff” last spring. Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters, who developed Becht into a Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP, holds the same role at Penn State.
The tight ends Becht trusted most, Brahmer, caught 37 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, are following him east.
What’s Left at Iowa State?
New head coach Jimmy Rogers, hired from Washington State after Campbell’s departure on December 5, has already landed Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor to replace Becht.
Raynor threw for 3,361 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2025, running a similar scheme under offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf, who now coaches Iowa State’s quarterbacks.
But the Cyclones lost both scholarship quarterbacks on the roster Sunday. Manske, a four-star recruit in the 2025 class ranked No. 8 quarterback in the On300, has four years of eligibility remaining and provides Penn State with a long-term succession plan behind Becht.
The tight end room is decimated. Brahmer and Burkle combined for 99 receptions, 1,223 yards, and nine touchdowns over the past two seasons. They knew Campbell’s system cold. Now they’ll help teach it to Penn State’s returning players.
Campbell spoke about roster philosophy at his Penn State introduction with the conviction of a coach who knows exactly what he wants.
MORE: Tracking Every Transfer Portal Move for Penn State
“I want young men that want to be here at Penn State and want to win championships at Penn State. It has to start there.”
The message was aimed at his new players. But his old ones apparently heard it too.
For Penn State fans, the Campbell-Becht reunion offers immediate hope after a disastrous 2025 that saw James Franklin fired in October. For Iowa State, the portal exodus stings.
The Cyclones built something special over the past decade. The coach who built it is now dismantling it from nearly 1,000 miles away.
