Rocco Becht

AMES — Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has been named to the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List. The Maxwell Award has been presented annually to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and official.

Becht has helped Iowa State to 18 wins over the last two seasons, the best two-year stretch in school history.

Last season, Becht ranked No. 11 nationally with 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns — and added 318 yards and eight scores on the ground — while leading Iowa State to its winningest season in program history. Led by Becht, Iowa State won 11 games, made a Big 12 Conference title game appearance, and earned a thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over No. 15 Miami.

Becht led Iowa State on four game-winning drives where ISU took the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the game (at Iowa, UCF, at Utah, vs. Miami). In his career, Becht has led the Cyclones to five wins where ISU trailed in the fourth quarter.

He has thrown a touchdown pass in a school-record 18 consecutive games, the nation’s longest active streak entering the 2025 season and the Big 12’s longest streak since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield had a streak of 40.

Becht has thrown for 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, the only Big 12 player to do so and one of just 12 active FBS players who can make that claim. Along with Brock Purdy, Becht is one of two quarterbacks in school history with multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.