Penn State football quarterback Rocco Becht made his first public showing to Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The redshirt senior has been recovering from a pair of shoulder injuries suffered during his time at Iowa State. He’s been cleared to throw for months now, but not necessarily in live team drills.

“[7-on-7] is all I can do right now. That’s all I did the past two weeks. Not really risking it to go in the team reps and get hit on my shoulder,” Becht said after the Blue-White Practice. “When summer comes around after this May break, I’ll be fully ready to go.”

As a result of not being able to do much on the field during the spring practice window, Becht says he has devoted extra time to leadership.

“Building chemistry in the film room and being a leader on and off the field was a huge step in my leadership role. So I thought I had a good spring to develop in that way, develop in the offense, learning the run game,” Becht said.

The Wesley Chapel, Florida native previously explained how he wanted to show his new teammates and coaches who he is as a player on the field, but couldn’t because of his injuries. Being able to participate in the Blue-White Practice was as much a clear victory in his recovery process as it was a glimpse into the future and at the potential of this offense in the fall.

“I thought it was huge that [Becht] was able to get the reps he had. I probably would have been really nervous had Rocco not been able to get the reps that he got through the spring. In the last three weeks, he’s really been getting quality reps and be able to work with our receivers,” Matt Campbell said.

Getting 7-on-7 reps against reactive coverage is a much more effective way to establish chemistry than simply playing catch, which Becht understands.

“With the receivers, tight ends, and running backs, we’ve been able to get really good reps the past weeks. I’m happy about what we’ve been able to do and where we’re progressing,” he said.

That chemistry flashed on the field during the Blue-White Practice, as Becht found Koby Howard on back-to-back plays for big gains.

“He’s getting back to 100%,” tight end Benjamin Brahmer said. “I can see the ball popping out of his hand.”

Even though spring practices are finished, the work isn’t over for Becht, Brahmer, or the Penn State offense, which plans to use the next two weeks to prepare for summer training camp.

“I love how we have two weeks until our big May break. These next two weeks are gonna be huge in the film room. If it’s nice out, we’ll go outside and rep through some stuff, but right now, until the May break, we’ll be in the film room watching over spring ball,” Becht said.

Now that he is fully healthy, according to Becht, the plan is for him and his receivers to hone in on route timing and coverage concepts when they return after the May break.

“Those guys want to get better. They ask questions day in and day out. I’m proud of those guys for what they’ve been able to accomplish in spring ball. Now that I’m going to be able to be fully back with those guys, I’m excited for summer to come around and get those extra reps in,” Becht said.

Receiver Brett Eskildsen echoed that sentiment, sharing Becht’s belief that the unit is among the closest on the team.

“There are a lot of guys in there who are about the right things. Being a part of the team, part of the brotherhood, that’s kind of our mantra,” Eskildsen said.

With Penn State’s weapons coalescing as a unit throughout the spring and the imminent return of a fully healthy Becht at quarterback, there is a palpable energy buzzing through the offense, one that stems from excitement and a clear expectation of success in the fall.