Penn State’s most important player has made significant progress from pair of shoulder injuries that affected him during the 2025 season.
Redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht, who started 39 consecutive games at Iowa State before transferring to PSU, had surgery in December to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing (left) shoulder.
The 6-1, 209-pound Becht also sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder and played through the injury.
“I think Rocco’s a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of, physically,” Penn State first-year coach Matt Campbell said shortly after the Lions concluded a Tuesday morning practice.
“He was able to get out and do some drill work today, some individual (work). I think the biggest thing for him is, he won’t get live reps (in spring). But I think things like seven on seven, three over two, routes on air, I do think he is going to get a lot of that work, which I think will be really, really good for him.”
Campbell, who spent 10 seasons at Iowa State, knows what he has in Becht, whose experience and talent will be crucial to Penn State’s success in the fall.
Becht threw for 9,274 yards during his time in Ames and was responsible for 83 touchdowns passing and rushing.
Becht’s best season was 2024 when he passed for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns.
The shoulder injuries impacted Becht’s play in 2025, when he threw for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Becht, addressed his offseason recovery when he met with the Penn State media in late February.
“The process has been going really well,” Becht said. “(My) shoulder’s feeling great. Right shoulder is fully healthy, and left shoulder is almost there.”
Said Campbell: “He’s been throwing now, probably, for a little over three weeks, which has been really great for him.
“I think we just gotta make sure we are slow and right with Rocco, rather than fast and wrong. For those young (PSU) quarterbacks to be able to watch him and just to have his leadership on the (practice) field, that’s been big for us.”