The days of recruiting an elite group of players and developing them over the course of a few seasons are mostly gone in college football. There are still a few teams that operate that way, but building through the transfer portal is more of a viable option than it’s ever been before.
Penn State will be one of those teams this season, with more than 20 transfers on the roster from Iowa State alone. At least one player in that group is bound to have a massive impact, and USA TODAY's Austin Curtright believes it will be quarterback Rocco Becht.
Curtright listed 10 of the most impactful transfers in the Big Ten, and while he didn’t rank them numerically, Becht was placed among some heavy hitters. He became one of the most decorated passers in Cyclones history — finishing top-three in passing yards and touchdowns — and hopes that success will translate to a more talented conference.
Becht will have a familiar supporting cast with the Nittany Lions, which should help ease the transition. Wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, tight end Benjamin Brahmer, and running back Carson Hansen came over from Iowa State as well as coach Matt Campbell, so there should be a level of cohesion offensively.
Penn State has a lot of belief in Becht, and it sounds like Curtright does too. Becht has a chance to do big things with this team if he plays to the standard he set while with the Cyclones.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State QB lands among top-10 ‘most impactful transfers’ in Big Ten