Two of Iowa State’s biggest portal losses, redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht and senior tight end Benjamin Brahmer, the No. 1 tight end in the portal by 247 Sports, are reportedly in play for Penn State and former Cyclones coach Matt Campbell.
Becht, who declared his intention to transfer on Dec. 20, is set to visit Penn State in the coming days, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Thamel is also reporting that “a deal at Penn State reuniting (Becht) with his former coaching staff could come together quickly.”
Not long after Thamel’s report, Chris Hummer of 247 Sports joined fellow analyst Matt Zenitz in predicting Penn State to land Brahmer, who declared for the portal on Dec. 24. Campbell could soon have an aerial combo featuring two of his top offensive weapons in a matter of days.
Rocco Becht and Benjamin Brahmer Success at Iowa State
Becht threw for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in his fourth and final season as a Cyclone. Another Campbell quarterback, the Class of 2026’s Kase Evans of Lexington, Texas, flipped to Penn State on Dec. 14.
Brahmer, an All-American at tight end, has caught 75 total passes from Becht for 977 yards and nine touchdowns at Iowa State since 2023. Brahmer recorded 37 receptions for 446 yards and six total touchdowns last year; He’d catch for touchdowns in three consecutive games against Arizona State, TCU and Kansas.
Becht and Brahmer were among the top Cyclones to enter the portal. The Cyclones have lost a total of 42 players to the transfer portal since Campbell accepted the Penn State job in December.
Jimmy Rogers has his work cut out for him with Iowa State’s portal fallout, but the hard truth with any coaching change in the modern era is the sweeping nature of transfers. It’s also unsurprising that Becht, under center for Campbell’s last three seasons as a coach, would be one of the top names on his radar as the latest transfer cycle (Jan. 2 to Jan. 16) kicks off.
It hurts to see two Big 12 names exit for the Big Ten, but they’re hardly the first pair of players to follow a longtime coach to another institution.
