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Rocco Becht is taking one class at Penn State this fall.
The NCAA would like you to believe that top college football players are attending schools for the advancement of both athletics and education. It’s a facade.
It’s no secret that many future NFL pros have no interest in the classroom. Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht is exploiting that illusion while raking in seven figures.
The passer will take one online class this fall. He still does not know what that class will be. His focus is on the 2026 football season. A successful campaign will lead to a professional opportunity.
Rocco Becht didn’t go to Penn State for school.
The fifth-year signal caller has already attained his undergraduate degree from Iowa State. For all intents and purposes, taking a victory lap in order to play for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht will be all football this fall. He’s taking one online class at PSU, which starts classes on Monday. He already has his undergrad communications degree from Iowa State. Becht explains the scenario: pic.twitter.com/JCKEyymvjL
— Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) August 20, 2026
Becht has entered a graduate program at Penn State. He will take one online class this semester with the opportunity to continue in the spring. It seems the lightest possible avenue to remain eligible for his final season.
During my own graduate studies, I had a professor on the first day of class ask the question, “Why are you seeking your Master’s degree?” My classmate’s response was, “To avoid the real world.”
Becht is able to do just that. His reward is much greater than mine. I was simply prolonging the idea of moving back home to find a job. He’s getting paid $1 million to stay in college a year longer, and making as much money now as he would’ve had he gone pro.
Becht was in an interesting situation after his final season at Iowa State. He was a fringe NFL player that had been extremely productive in college. His head coach got a promotion with a job at Penn State. Now, he upgrades, too.
Rather than test the professional waters, he secured a chance to showcase his skillset on a larger stage. Becht is viewed as a mid- to late-round pro prospect. If his Big 12 success translates to the Big 10, his stock will only rise.
If all goes according to play, Rocco Becht will not need to finish his graduate studies, at least not next spring. He will get drafted and sign with an NFL team. His one class might be all he takes, hence, the reason for backloading his schedule.
Class is not important.
This is nothing new. We saw it with Carson Beck last season after a transfer to Miami. It’s been well-documented long before Beck.
College football in 2026 👇
Reporter: “Did you have class yesterday”
Carson Beck: “No class. I graduated two years ago.”#GoCanes #NationalChampionship #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/vtTSB4Ljvi— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) January 17, 2026
Cardale Jones said it best at Ohio State:
“Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS.”
Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart took ballroom dancing during his final semester at USC. It was his only class of the fall. Countless others have taken similar paths. Anything to stay eligible!
This is not a knock on Rocco Becht. He’s already earned his undergraduate degree. I’d do the same if I were in his shoes.
And hey, I could be completely wrong when all is said and done, but I don’t see him passing up an NFL opportunity to pursue his Master’s. Maybe he can do both through online coursework. He’ll always have the option to return at a later date if the degree is important to him.
The terms of Becht’s NIL agreement are not public. I don’t know if he receives payment up front or month to month. I’m unsure if his income will be docked if he leaves school in the spring.
Either way, he’s getting lifechanging money to go to Penn State – and (basically) not attend class.