A new report suggests Penn State could make one of the first big splashes in the college football transfer portal.
The 2025 season for the Nittany Lions was one of the most disappointing in school history. Entering the campaign, there was a real belief that the program could compete for a national championship. They were coming off a big 13-3 season, and starting QB Drew Allar passed on the NFL Draft and returned for his final season to chase a natty.
However, after winning their first three games, the season went downhill fast as they lost six straight. Allar suffered a season-ending injury on October 11, and a day later, the university took the bold step of firing head coach James Franklin after a 3-3 start. After having championship hopes in August, Penn State finished the season with a 7-6 record and looking for a new head coach.
After an arduous search to find the man to take over one of the more prestigious jobs in the nation, the school landed on Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. It used to take a few years to turn a program around. However, with NIL deals turning the transfer portal into the NCAA’s version of free agency, the new coach has an opportunity to get the Lions back to their winning ways in his debut season.
Penn State Closing in on Acquiring Rocco Becht
Well, it looks like he is close to taking his first big step towards a bounce-back season in 2026. According to On3’s Pete Thamel, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is “preparing to visit Penn State in the upcoming days, now that he’ll officially be in the portal.”
The college football insider claims Becht “reuniting him with his former coaching staff could come together quickly.”
- Rocco Becht stats: 2,584 passing yards, 116 rushing yards, 24 total TDs, 9 INTs, 60.5 completion %, 134.8 passer rating
Campbell recruited Becht out of Florida, and he has been with the Cyclones since his redshirt freshman year in 2022. While Becht will draw a lot of interest in the portal, it makes a ton of sense to stick with the staff that has developed him into a top 20 QB in the nation.
With Penn State’s resources and roster, Becht could be a Heisman contender in 2026.
