An entourage of 24 players following their coach to a new school is unprecedented. But for quarterback Rocco Becht, the mass exodus from Iowa State to Penn State created an ‘awkward’ situation he’s only now opening up about.
“It was a little awkward in the beginning,” Becht said in an exclusive interview with On3. “We were coming into something new. The Penn State players had their own thing. So we had to do a great job of blending with the team and bringing them along.”
Matt Campbell was hired last December, and he did not take long to give PSU a new look, with 39 players joining the Nittany Lions through the transfer portal. However, the new look his PSU side is wearing has a striking resemblance to the last team he coached, with 24 players joining him from the Cyclones.
Having a weird combination of two large player groups means each group has something new to learn from the other. While former Cyclones players understand the coaching philosophy better than others, they still have some learning to do about the program’s environment and culture.
Regardless, the decision to readily join him, despite the awkwardness of their new environment, is proof of his outstanding leadership. During his 10-year stint in Ames, Campbell posted a 72-55 record, made seven bowl appearances, and was named Big 12 Coach of the Year three times. He was so brilliant that Becht had initially trivialized the news of his exit as a kind of “publicity stunt.”
Since Campbell was Rocco Becht’s reason for joining the Cyclones, moving with him to Happy Valley seemed like the obvious choice. However, all of Campbell’s achievements weren’t enough to force him into a swift decision, as he took almost 20 days to enter the transfer portal.
His major considerations were his four memorable seasons in Ames, his 26 victories, and his strong connection with the fans. Under Campbell’s leadership, Becht became an icon with the Cyclones. After redshirting his first year, Becht threw for 9,274 yards, 64 passing touchdowns, and 19 rushing touchdowns over three seasons. And as he tried to sort out the pull on both sides, he deemed his relationship with Campbell to be too valuable to lose.
“I committed there because of coach Campbell,” said Rocco Becht. “And when he left, it wasn’t expected. That’s what made it hard. I gave so much to that program and that community, and they gave it back to me tenfold. To leave the people and the relationships I built off the field outside the facility—that was something I was going to miss. That was really the main reason it took me so long to make a decision.”
“What he always preaches is that he wants to create a player-led program. He doesn’t want to be the one getting on everybody, and he doesn’t want the coaches getting on all the players either. He wants the players to lead each other, to build each other up when things go bad, when adverse moments come up.”
Campbell did not rely solely on his influence over his players; he was wise enough to offer them several reasons to come along with him. He reached Becht’s dad before Becht to ensure the voices for him were more than those against him.
Rocco Becht is recovering ahead of the 2026 season
“He’ll be ready to rock and roll,” Campbell said during a recent press conference. “I think the fact that we’ve gotten this much out of him was way ahead of probably where we thought we would have been.”
Despite his surgery, he participated in some activities during spring practice but was limited to an observer role during 11-on–11 live periods.
Ultimately, Campbell commended him beyond his recovery. As he recovers, he has taken the initiative to build a good relationship with the wide receivers and tight ends and has been showing himself as a good leader.
