AMES − Iowa State football quarterback Rocco Becht and wide receiver Xavier Townsend are among the select few athletes across the country who have made the jump from high school to Division I college football.
They've played in games featured nationally on ESPN and Fox Sports networks. Still, no matter what fanfare and attention come their way, the ultra-competitive pair is sometimes fixated on the days well before TV cameras captured their moves on the gridiron.
The Floridians go way back. Townsend is a native of Tampa, while Becht grew up in Wesley Chapel, a suburb located 30 minutes away. They first met as competitors on the football field at 8 years old and their friendship blossomed shortly after.
"We were talking about, like two days ago, about a 7-on-7 game and Rocco threw an interception to my team but the ref said our player was out of bounds, and they ended up winning the game from that," said Townsend, thinking back to one of his earliest football memories with Becht. "We were talking about that because we're both competitive and nobody likes to lose.
"That was one that he won and I was just reminding him like, 'Yeah, you know the refs cheated for y'all on this play,' and he said they won fair and square. That's one for sure that sticks out."
Although that loss has stuck with Townsend, it's hardly a surprise that the competitive Becht is also drawn to recall the losses, rather than that victory.
"I played a lot against (Townsend) in high school and Pop Warner as well, and I never beat him I don't think," Becht said. "So, it's great to have that guy on the same side of the ball as me."
After years of competing against each other in their home state, the two have reunited more than a thousand miles away in Ames. The 5-foot-11 wide receiver was one of the Cyclones' top acquisitions through the transfer portal this offseason. He totaled 1,625 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns over the last three years at UCF.
In 2024, he accumulated 157 total offensive yards and a touchdown and 283 return yards through the Knights' first four games. He opted to sit out the remainder of the season to preserve a redshirt and enter the transfer portal. He did not play in Iowa State's thrilling 38-35 win over UCF on Oct. 19, which capped the program's best start in Big 12 competition.
He will play a big part in Iowa State's passing game, alongside another key addition in East Carolina transfer Chase Sowell. Those two will be needed to help replace the production lost from NFL prospects Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
