Quarterback Rocco Becht is among the fresh additions at Penn State following the James Franklin era. He joined the Nittany Lions after transferring alongside his former head coach, Matt Campbell, and is expected to boost the team’s offense in the 2026 season.
What Cooper Cousins Thinks of Penn State QB Rocco Becht
Rocco Becht will bring 26 career wins as a starting quarterback to Penn State, the most of any returning QB in college football for 2026. He led Iowa State to 11 victories in 2024.
CFB analyst Adam Breneman asked Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins about Becht’s arrival at the Nittany Lions, and Cousins had nothing but praise for his QB.
“Rocco is awesome,” Cousins said. “He feels like a Penn State quarterback. Rocco’s great. Everyone loves Rocco. I don’t think there’s one thing bad about the guy that you can. It’s like Mr. All-American. He’s awesome.”
Cousins isn’t alone in his praise, as senior Gabe Burkle also spoke highly of the new QB.
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“His heart rate’s probably 60 beats per minute. Super composed,” Burkle said of Becht, via the York Daily Record. “He’s a guy you want to play with. He’s a guy you want to be your QB. We all know how he plays and how good he is.”
Becht is among the most accomplished returning quarterbacks in college football, as he committed to joining Penn State in January, kicking off a historic 40-transfer influx. A major factor in his decision was the opportunity to reunite with his coaching staff, including Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser.
“I felt like the culture that we had at Iowa State was awesome, and that was just built off the past four years of what we’ve done,” Becht told the York Daily Record. “And I think bringing that over to Penn State was the best thing that happened.
“Talking to all the Penn State players that have stayed, they tell me that they feel a sort of change in the locker room, in the facility. And I’m just happy to hear that, because I was trying to come in and not really step on anybody’s toes, but just get used to everything and get to know guys. And they’ve kind of just opened arms and brought us all in.”
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Becht’s 2025 season was affected by personnel changes and injuries, including labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. He ended the year ranked 73rd nationally on PFSN’s College Football QB Impact Metric with a 78.6 score.
Becht is aiming to return to peak form while pursuing big goals with Penn State: a 10-win season, a Big Ten title, and a College Football Playoff berth, according to an interview with ESPN. He has amassed 9,274 passing yards, 499 rushing yards, 64 passing touchdowns, and 19 rushing touchdowns throughout his career.
