Things can change very quickly in the world of college football. One of Iowa’s biggest rivals is finding that out the hard way.
The Hawkeyes have had some recent struggles with in-state rival Iowa State on the gridiron, losing the last two games in the series. Iowa had chances to win both games, but couldn’t execute well enough down the stretch to win either game. A significant part of Iowa State’s recent success in the series is because of the head coach and quarterback duo of Matt Campbell and Rocco Becht.
Advertisement
Now, both parts of that duo won’t be back in Ames next season.
A few weeks ago, Campbell took the head coach position at Penn State, replacing James Franklin. It was a seismic move for both programs, and it set into motion a lot of questions about the future of Cyclone football. Those questions were highlighted on Saturday, as Becht announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Becht had been a three-year starter for the Cyclones, and he went 2-1 against the Hawkeyes. In 2025, Becht completed 18-of-27 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown in their win over Iowa. In 2024, he completed 23-of-35 for 272 yards and two touchdowns in their win at Kinnick Stadium. Becht always seemed to make the big plays in big moments against the Hawkeyes.
Advertisement
Becht will finish his career at Iowa State, completing 60.7% of his passes for 9,274 yards and a 64-to-27 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for 19 career touchdowns during his time in Ames. Becht has one year of eligibility remaining and could follow his head coach to Happy Valley to become the next Penn State quarterback.
His departure leaves a big hole at the quarterback position for Iowa State, and they’ll have to turn to a new face to take on the Hawkeyes inside Kinnick Stadium next September. If new head coach Jimmy Rogers doesn’t grab a quarterback in the transfer portal, expect Alex Manske and Connor Moberly to battle for the starting spot. Both were freshmen last season and have a combined 16 pass attempts in their college careers.
No matter the quarterback, the Hawkeyes are going to have a great chance to bring the Cy-Hawk Trophy back home next season in front of a raucous home crowd at Kinnick. With a new head coach and quarterback on the sidelines for Iowa State, the Hawkeyes will need to take advantage of that inexperience. The 2026 edition of the Cy-Hawk game will be played on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Kinnick Stadium.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football rival quarterback Rocco Becht entering transfer portal
