Penn State football quarterback Rocco Becht was named to the Maxwell Award watch list, the team announced on Monday.

Named after Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, the award is given to the “Most Outstanding Player” in all of college football. Since its inception in 1937, seven Nittany Lions have received the award, including Larry Johnson, Kerry Collins, Chuck Fusina, John Cappelletti, Mike Reid, Glenn Ressler, and Richie Lucas.

Last season, Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen all made the watchlist, but heading into 2026, Becht is the Nittany Lions’ lone nominee.

Becht enters the final year of his college football career as the winningest quarterback in the nation, boasting a 26-13 record as a starter. His 9,274 passing yards and 64 touchdowns rank second among active FBS quarterbacks, and he has over 2,500 snaps under his belt heading into the fall.

After an injury-riddled year with the Cyclones where he threw for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns, Becht appears healthy and has lofty expectations for his 2026 campaign that starts with being considered for this prestigious award.