Penn State football quarterback Rocco Becht has been named to the Manning Award Watch List, the organization announced Monday.

The award annually recognizes the best quarterback in college football. It was created by the Sugar Bowl to commemorate the careers of college and NFL legends Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award in college football that takes bowl and postseason performances into account.

While no Penn State signal caller has ever won the award since its inception in 2004, Drew Allar and Sean Clifford have made the preseason watch list in recent years. Allar was even named a Manning Award Star of the Week for his 325-yard, three-touchdown debut performance against West Virginia in 2023. Eight quarterbacks are pinned as Manning Award Stars of the Week per week throughout the college football season.

Becht has shared his high expectations in his first year with the Nittany Lions ahead of kickoff against Marshall on September 5. He fully expects to lead a competitive Penn State team as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football.

Becht has also been named to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, and the Davey O’Brien Award.

About the Author

Oscar Orellana

Oscar is a third-year broadcast journalism student from Los Angeles. He's probably at the movies. He mostly writes about Penn State football. Email him at oscar@onwardstate.com.

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