Penn State didn’t just dip into the transfer portal to find its next quarterback - it dove in headfirst with a clear plan. The Nittany Lions have filled their top two quarterback spots for 2026 with familiar faces from Iowa State, but they didn’t stop there. With Rocco Becht and Alex Manske arriving alongside former Cyclones coaches Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, the staff added one more name to round out the room - and it’s a compelling one.
Enter Connor Barry, a Division III standout who’s bringing his experience, leadership, and production to Happy Valley. Barry committed to Penn State on January 23 after three seasons at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, where he built a résumé that turns heads regardless of the level of competition. Now, he’s stepping into a quarterback room that needed depth - and maturity - and he’s expected to compete for the No. 2 job behind Becht.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a “depth piece” move. Barry’s coming in with real expectations and a real opportunity. And that’s exactly how quarterbacks coach Jake Waters framed it.
“I just told him that he’s gonna get a fair shot,” Waters said. “Whether you’re one play away or two plays away, there’s gonna be a ton of opportunity. We’re not just coming in to fill a depth role.”
That mindset - and Barry’s embrace of it - was what sold the staff. In a quarterback room that’s already balancing Becht’s recovery from offseason labrum surgery and Manske’s development after limited action as a true freshman, adding a veteran with game reps and leadership chops makes a lot of sense.
Barry, listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, started his college career at Appalachian State, where he spent one year before transferring to Christopher Newport. There, he didn’t just play - he rewrote the program’s record books.
Over two seasons as the starter, he threw for 5,561 yards and 55 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions. Last season alone, Barry set single-season school records for passing yards and touchdowns while leading his team to its first undefeated regular season in history.
But what stood out to Waters even more than Barry’s stats was the kind of teammate he is.
“Their coach said, ‘I wish I could tell you he wouldn’t be a great teammate, but he’d be a great teammate no matter what’s going to happen,’” Waters said.
That’s the kind of presence Penn State wants in its quarterback room. With Becht still recovering and not expected to throw until midway through spring practices, Barry will have a chance to take meaningful reps early. And beyond just competing, he’ll be in position to mentor a group of young quarterbacks that includes Manske, Peyton Falzone, and Kase Evans.
Waters pointed to Barry’s efficiency and decision-making as key reasons for the addition. A 66% completion rate and just a 2% interception rate - paired with a 17-4 record as a starter - check the boxes for what you want in a backup who might be one snap away.
“I don’t care what division it was,” Waters said. “He played a lot of football, won a lot of games and took care of the football.”
That experience is exactly what Penn State was looking for to complement a room that’s talented but still developing. Manske is a promising prospect, but he’s raw.
Falzone and Evans are even earlier in their college journeys. Barry brings a level of maturity and perspective that only comes from having been through the grind of college football - even if it was at the Division III level.
“We wanted a guy who’s played a lot of football,” Waters said. “With our younger guys, they still need to grow and develop. Really excited about the maturity that he’s going to bring - that he’s been through college, worked through a lot of hard stuff - to kind of round off the experience in the room.”
So while Becht is penciled in as the starter and Manske is viewed as the future, Barry is the steady hand that can help bridge the gap. And in today’s college football landscape, where quarterback depth can evaporate in an instant, that’s more than just a luxury - it’s a necessity.
Spring ball is just around the corner, and with Becht on the mend, Barry will have a real opportunity to show what he can do. Whether it’s as a backup, a mentor, or simply a steady presence in the room, Penn State believes it found a valuable piece in an unexpected place.