When Rocco Becht took to the field in fall 2023, the starting quarterback was faced with the challenge, or opportunity, to bring stability to a program facing adversity.
He made the most of the starting spot, quickly setting freshman school records in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns, and winning the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award. More significantly, Becht earned the trust of his coaches, teammates, and fans with his stellar debut.
Goal to Give
Off the field, Becht saw an opportunity to take earnings he received from the new name, image and likeness (NIL) era of college sports and use them to make a difference in his local community.
Last year, Becht approached the We Will Collective with an idea to offer a free football camp at Perry High School, a school that was the site of tragic gun violence in January 2024. Becht covered all the expenses himself, recruited teammates to join him and 100 kids at the camp, and donated $7,500 to the football program.
This spring, Becht continued his efforts to give back, donating gaming consoles and games to every pediatric room at Mary Greeley Medical Center. Becht delivered the Xboxes himself, and stayed to play with patients.
“I think becoming a Division I quarterback during the NIL era is the best thing that’s happened to me,” Becht says. “I think more people should use their earnings like this and give it back to the communities, the people who need it. ... I want to see that happen throughout the country. We’ve seen a little bit of it, so hopefully it can grow.”
Championship Chase
Coming off a season in which he helped lead the program to double-digit wins for the first time in school history, Becht has his sights set on adding more to the record books.
“Our goal is obviously a Big 12 Championship,” Becht says. “We haven’t won a conference championship here in 133 years. That weighs a lot on our chest, but we love it. We want to be there. That’s where we expect to be.”
Iowa State and Becht’s journey to a championship game takes flight with a showdown against Big 12 rival Kansas State in the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, on August 23.
“It’s going to be a good chance for us to prove who we really are and really set the tone for what the season’s going to be,” Becht says. “I can’t wait for it.”