Penn State football is just over a month away from its 2026 season opener against Marshall. And while there are question marks surrounding nearly every position group, the quarterback position is not a primary area of concern.

Rocco Becht enters his final year of eligibility and first year as a Nittany Lion as the winningest active signal-caller in college football. After four seasons with Matt Campbell at Iowa State, three as the starter, Becht has racked up 26 victories and numerous school passing records.

While Becht was limited during spring ball due to a labrum tear in his non-throwing shoulder and an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder, the veteran quarterback is all systems go ahead of his Penn State debut.

“I’m full go, 100%. Back to my normal self,” Becht said in an interview with the Cover 3 Podcast at Big Ten Media Days. “I’m super anxious for fall camp to come around the corner, and the season, because I wasn’t able to do a lot in the spring. I’m just excited to get back out there and play football.”

When Becht takes the field at Beaver Stadium, it will be the first time in a game setting that he will play alongside a new group of “brothers,” comprised of 23 former teammates from Iowa State, 52 seasoned Penn Staters, and 37 newbies, including other transfers and incoming freshmen.

Becht is well past the point of grouping his fellow Nittany Lions by former school, though.

Through strong leadership starting at the top, the redshirt senior will hope to be the difference-maker of a team he knows all bleed blue and white.

“The team is blended together,” he said. “We’re no longer Iowa State, Penn State. We’re just one Penn State team now, and that’s where we needed to be going into fall camp.”

Within the core of those 112 rostered players is a deep appreciation for Becht’s leadership. Whether they have played with No. 3 in the past or for the first time in 2026, Becht acknowledges the respect he has earned from his teammates.

“I feel like my teammates have trusted me now. Obviously, I wasn’t able to do a lot during spring ball, but I was able to build those relationships,” Becht said. “Something special that I’m looking forward to is being out there on the field with them, being able to go out there and win a lot of games with those guys.”

Campbell knows just how big a presence Becht can provide to a football team. Having recruited him out of Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, Florida, Campbell has watched his quarterback develop throughout the years into someone who wears his heart on his sleeve every time he steps out onto the football field.

“I think the greatest skill that [Becht] has developed is confidence. I think there’s only one way to develop that, and that’s earning it,” Campbell said. “I think his superpower is he knows who he is, he knows what he stands for.”

On the football side of things, Becht is poised for a big season. Aside from the fact that he can provide a threat with his legs, having accumulated 19 career rushing touchdowns, Becht will be surrounded by a talented trio of wideouts in Happy Valley this season: Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen, and Koby Howard.

Sowell and Eskildsen played with Becht in Ames, each playing an integral role in Taylor Mouser’s “spread-pro offense.” But Howard could emerge as Becht’s new favorite target during the wide receiver’s second season in Happy Valley.

“That guy is really special,” Becht said of Howard. “He did a lot of good things in spring ball, and he’s probably going to do a lot of great things in fall camp [and] in the season for us. So, hopefully I can get him over 1,000 yards receiving, but something I’m looking forward to is just playing with him.”

While 1,000 yards is a lofty goal no doubt, it wouldn’t be the first time Becht has accomplished the feat.

In fact, the Cyclones had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in 2024, with Becht helping Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel maximize their potential while wearing the cardinal and gold.

With a fully healthy Becht, Penn State fans have a lot to look forward to in this year’s edition of the offense. Becht will bring a spark and moxie to this team that will look to mirror Trace McSorley, someone Campbell compared him to earlier this year.

After so many years of Penn State heartbreaks, Becht could finally bring that swagger and clutch gene back to Happy Valley.

“I don’t know if there’s a better quarterback with the ball in his hands at the end of the game [than Becht],” Campbell said.