Penn State’s quarterback room has gone from uncertain to settled in a hurry.
Back in spring, head coach Matt Campbell was careful with his words when he described the group as “interesting right now, to say the least.” That was putting it mildly.
The Nittany Lions were juggling a starter coming off shoulder surgery, a Division III transfer, two true freshmen and a walk-on. Four months later, the room looks very different - and much more stable.
Penn State now has five healthy quarterbacks, with a starter who “looks better than ever” and a backup Campbell called a “miracle.” One of the freshman quarterbacks has already shifted to tight end. The changes have been dramatic, but the overall picture is a lot cleaner than it was in March.
Rocco Becht is the biggest reason why.
People around Penn State who knew him at Iowa State say he looks like a different quarterback in camp. Becht spent the summer working to become more resilient after offseason surgery on his left shoulder, the non-throwing side.
He also worked with a Florida quarterbacks coach who trains San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, drilling the details of his accuracy starting with footwork. On campus during OTAs, he spent time building chemistry with Koby Howard, Zay Robinson, Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen.
Campbell said all of that has shown up on the field.
“Rocco’s in a completely different space than I’ve seen him really in his career,” Campbell said after practice as Penn State began Week 3 of camp. “[He's a] guy who’s already gone through the highs of college football and the lows of college football. He's been in the same system now for a fifth year.
“I hate to use the word flawless, but he's played at an elite clip every day. He's had a great command of situational football, had a great command of what we're trying to accomplish offensively. But the biggest thing that a great quarterback does is, he leads the team.”
Behind Becht, Penn State has another story that borders on remarkable.
Alex Manske left the program in February during winter workouts because of a major health issue. He had been diagnosed with a dilated aortic root that required surgery, and a week before spring drills began he was at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota undergoing open-heart surgery. At the time, Penn State did not expect him to be back this season.
Instead, the surgery went well, Manske returned to State College in late April and was throwing again by mid-June. Now he’s the No. 2 quarterback behind Becht and could see the field during the non-conference schedule.
The 6-3, 217-pound Manske has looked strong in camp, with no visible signs of post-surgery stress. Jake Waters said Manske has even asked to be hit in the chest during practice.
“It’s a miracle, it's a blessing and we're all really grateful,” Campbell said.
Connor Barry’s path has been unusual too, just in a different way. Penn State committed to him before Manske’s diagnosis, and the former Christopher Newport starter arrived as a depth piece. In a short stretch, though, he found himself as the de facto backup.
Barry was one of the top quarterbacks in Division III last season. He earned second-team All-American honors, became Christopher Newport’s first semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy and helped lead the program to a 10-0 record, the first undefeated season in school history.
Penn State brought him in to provide depth, and Barry never blinked at that role. Waters said his motivation has stayed high even with Manske back in the mix.
“Not with a guy like Connor, who just loves football and wanted to play here and have an opportunity to play at the highest level,” Waters said. “He's motivated every day and he loves it here.
We love having him, and he's getting a ton of reps, too. He's still competing every single day with Alex and Rocco.”
The quarterback room isn’t the only place Penn State has adjusted. The team is down to one freshman quarterback, Kase Evans, who signed with Iowa State in December before following Campbell and his staff. Evans is a 6-3, 197-pound quarterback from Texas who threw for more than 11,000 yards in high school.
Then there’s Peyton Falzone, who moved from quarterback to tight end a week into camp. Penn State was hesitant to make that move last spring while Manske’s situation was still unresolved, but Campbell said Falzone has already flashed at his new spot.
It’s still a learning process for a player who never played tight end before, and the adjustment could take more than one season. Even so, Campbell made it clear the athleticism stood out.
“You just want to see what guys can do, and Peyton stood out,” Campbell said. “... Man, this guy’s got so much athleticism, is there more that we can do early on that he can maybe help our football team out, somehow, some way?”
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