Cyclone quarterback Rocco Becht named to Davey O’Brien, Maxwell watch lists

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht was named Thursday to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list, which honors the nation’s top college quarterback each year. The announcement is the latest in a string of preseason accolades for the Cyclones’ signal-caller, who was also included on the Maxwell Award watch list.

Becht, now in his third season as Iowa State’s starting quarterback, has already established himself among the program’s best. Over the past two seasons, he has helped lead the Cyclones to 18 wins — the best two-year stretch in school history.

In 2024, Becht finished 11th nationally with 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 318 yards and eight touchdowns, leading Iowa State to a program-record 11 wins, a Big 12 championship game appearance and a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over No. 15 Miami.

Last season, Becht engineered four game-winning drives when Iowa State took the lead with less than two minutes remaining, including comeback wins at Iowa, UCF, Utah and against Miami. Overall, he has guided the Cyclones to five fourth-quarter comeback wins in his career.

Becht, an alum of Wesley Chapel (Fla.) Wiregrass, holds the school record with a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation entering the 2025 season and the longest in the Big 12 since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield threw touchdowns in 40 straight games.

He has passed for more than 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, making him the only current Big 12 player and one of just 12 active FBS players to do so. Alongside current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Becht is one of two quarterbacks in school history with multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.

Iowa State opens the 2025 season Aug. 23 in Dublin, Ireland, against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.