The bye week has passed, and the Penn State football coaching staff still hasn’t made up its mind about backup quarterback Alex Manske.

Rocco Becht’s string of lackluster performances — including a stinker against Michigan that alienated a fair share of the Penn State faithful — made many call for Manske to start coming out of the week off.

With how Taylor Mouser and Matt Campbell spoke about the redshirt freshman prior to the season, you’d think he’d have gotten some sort of in-game Big Ten reps by now.

“He’s absolutely physically up to the task. I think the more important thing for us is with the guys that have at least earned the reps to be on the field, trying to find the best rhythm for our football team with those guys,” Campbell said Wednesday. “And obviously that doesn’t mean Alex isn’t close to being ready to help us or not practicing well … It’s more of full faith of what our football team can do.”

Campbell and Co. have backed Becht no matter how bad the outcry from fans to start Manske has been. It makes sense, too. Becht is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football. Campbell can’t abandon that after a string of bad games.

It’s also important not to throw Manske into the starting role. It’s clear Campbell and Mouser want to preserve him or keep him in preparation mode for a chance at the eventual starting spot. There’s no need to rush it when the season is all but lost.

But at the end of the day, it’s not about whether Manske truly is ready or not. The team loves Becht.

“Just him being that leader that he is … He’s being vocal, he’s out there telling us we’re going to be alright, and we’re behind that guy no matter what,” wide receiver Zay Robinson said Wednesday. “It’s our quarterback, and we’re fighting with him no matter what’s happening.”

Becht and Robinson kept a similar schedule throughout the bye week, getting a few extra reps with each other after practice to keep building their chemistry.

Robinson should have had a much bigger role in the offense once Koby Howard went down, but that increased production simply never materialized. Chase Sowell stepped up, while Brett Eskildsen followed suit with what he’s been able to muster so far.

Nevertheless, Robinson’s proximity to Becht allows him to see the quarterback’s preparation up close. Even if he isn’t producing as much out wide, he still sees Becht’s tenacity.

“He’s responded great. He’s coming out, he’s making his reads, he’s doing what he needs to do to be the player he is. And just to see him keep growing as the weeks are going has been really nice,” Robinson said.

One player coming off his best run of games in 2026 is tight end Andrew Rappleyea. The redshirt junior caught 19 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown over Penn State’s last three contests.

Rappleyea knows a thing or two about a wayward Penn State season. He was on the 2025 team that freefell into a 0-6 Big Ten hole before clinching bowl eligibility late in the season.

Yet, he’s been productive with Becht at the helm. The pair’s connection has grown throughout the season and is an encouraging sight for the Penn State offense.

“Rocco’s a great player. He shows up every single day with the same attitude. And obviously, he’s had a couple tough ones; that’s been the case for a lot of guys who all have had tough games this year,” Rappleyea said. “For his ability to show up day-in, day-out, it’s kind of an ego-breaker.”

Whether or not Manske checks in at any point through Penn State’s final five games, the team and coaching staff still support Becht through and through.

The Nittany Lions need a clear stance on the starting quarterback in the locker room if they want to lock in a bowl game and take some positives into the offseason.