STATE COLLEGE - Penn State’s offseason plan for Rocco Becht starts with one simple idea: keep him on the field.
The Nittany Lions quarterback spent last season at Iowa State battling through shoulder problems, and Penn State has spent this offseason building a program designed to make sure that doesn’t become a repeat issue. Becht is working with strength coach Reid Kagy on a training approach aimed at helping him “build up armor,” and the focus has been as much about durability as it has been about performance.
“We're trying to make sure we build up some of that resiliency so he can play healthy,” Kagy said at the Lift For Life fundraising event on July 1. “The biggest thing I appreciate about Rocco is, Rocco is a team-first [player], and he's one of the toughest guys on the entire team.
What he did last year for our team was incredible. What he's going to do here is going to be incredible from his standpoint, too.”
Becht’s medical history from last season explains why Penn State is being careful. He had offseason surgery in December to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which is his non-throwing side, and he also dealt with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.
Even with those issues, he played in all 12 games for the Cyclones and finished with 2,584 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 116 yards and scored eight times.
Penn State coach Matt Campbell pointed to Becht’s presence as a major reason Iowa State had the kind of season it did.
"His leadership and his humility and just his toughness and grit were huge pieces of why we had the success we did [at Iowa State]," Campbell said. "Some of the greatest moments in the program’s history are under Rocco."
The work this offseason has gone beyond just keeping Becht healthy. Kagy, who also served as Iowa State’s strength coach, has been pushing Becht to become a more complete athlete, with particular attention on speed.
“We're looking at that now,” Kagy said. “Is he gonna run a route?
No, but he's gonna run. Rocco being faster - he loves to talk about it, by the way.
He's gonna run the ball, so he's getting faster, he's getting stronger.”
Becht was limited during spring practice while continuing to recover from surgery, but he still found ways to make his presence felt. Campbell said Becht was essentially acting as an "extension" of the coaching staff this spring, using the time to sharpen his leadership and help the quarterback room.
He also got on the field sooner than expected. Campbell said Becht was ahead of schedule after Penn State’s first spring practice and was throwing during the first week, even though the initial expectation was that he would be more restricted. Becht called the spring a success after the final practice.
"I would say my spring went really good," Becht said after the final spring practice. "In the beginning, I wasn't able to do a lot on the field, so I think building that chemistry in the film room and being a leader on and off the field for me was a huge step. I thought I had a good spring to develop in that way, develop in the offense, learn more of the protections, learn the run game, and I think I did a really good job of that."
Penn State’s concern is obvious. If Becht misses time, the depth chart behind him gets thin fast. The two primary backups are Iowa State transfer Alex Manske, who has thrown only five passes in college and missed spring practices, and Division III transfer Connor Barry, who was a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy last year.
That makes Becht’s health even more important for a Penn State offense that will lean heavily on him. And for now, the quarterback appears ready to shoulder that responsibility.
“Rocco's a leader, and Rocco is a team guy,” Kagy said. “His toughness bleeds into the rest of this team, and from Day 1, even coming back from injury himself, [he] made an impact in any way he could, and obviously this summer he's been incredible.”
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