Since arriving in Happy Valley, Matt Campbell has wasted no time putting his stamp on the Penn State program. After years of building a gritty, overachieving culture at Iowa State, he's brought much of that infrastructure with him to the Big Ten - including both of his coordinators and several key recruits from the Cyclones’ 2026 class. Four Iowa State commits have already flipped to Penn State, and the next domino might be redshirt junior quarterback Rocco Becht.
Now, Becht wouldn’t be a bad addition. In 2025, he threw for 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns - solid numbers, especially considering the drop-off in surrounding talent compared to his breakout 2024 campaign, when he had Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel stretching the field.
Becht’s got some toughness, decent arm strength, and that intangible “gamer” quality coaches love. But here’s the thing: Penn State shouldn’t close the door on the transfer portal just yet - not when the quarterback market is shaping up to be one of the deepest we’ve seen in years.
Becht could offer a steady hand in what might be a transitional year for Campbell. He knows the system, he’s battle-tested, and he could help smooth the cultural shift.
But if Penn State is serious about jumping back into the Big Ten title conversation - a conversation that now includes Oregon, Washington, USC, and a surging Indiana - they’ll need a quarterback who brings more than just familiarity. They’ll need upside.
They’ll need someone who can elevate the offense against elite defenses, not just manage it.
Campbell is a strong hire, even if he wasn’t the flashiest name on the board. Before landing him, athletic director Pat Kraft reportedly explored options like Curt Cignetti, Mike Elko, and Kalani Sitake.
That same mindset - aiming high - is exactly what Campbell and his general manager Derek Hoodjer need to bring to the portal window. Because this year, the quarterback carousel is spinning fast, and the names jumping on are big.
On Monday, former five-star quarterbacks DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola both announced they’ll be entering the transfer portal when it opens on January 2. Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby joined them, adding even more depth to a group that already includes Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles. And that’s just the beginning.
There are several more quarterbacks who haven’t officially entered the portal but are widely expected to, including North Texas’s Drew Mestemaker and NC State’s CJ Bailey. If those names become available - and history tells us there will be a few surprise entries as well - Penn State will have no shortage of options to explore.
The price tag for a top-tier transfer quarterback isn’t cheap. Last offseason, Carson Beck set the market when he reportedly inked a $4 million NIL deal to leave Georgia for Miami.
That number could be eclipsed this cycle, especially with talents like Lagway and Raiola on the move. But for a program like Penn State, which just paid a $9 million buyout to move on from James Franklin, the resources are clearly there.
And with recruiting still in flux for 2026, Campbell and Hoodjer may have some financial flexibility to make a splash.
That’s why it’s important not to settle too early. Becht - or even returning starter Ethan Grunkemeyer - could hold the fort. But if there’s a quarterback out there who can accelerate this rebuild and give Penn State a real shot at contending in Year 1 of the Campbell era, the Nittany Lions owe it to themselves to explore every option.
This isn’t Iowa State anymore. The Big Ten is deeper, faster, and more competitive than ever. And with the right quarterback, Penn State could rejoin the upper tier sooner than expected.