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UNIVERSITY PARK -- It didn't take long for the feel-good story of the 2026 preseason to surface.
When he met the media in March to preview spring practice, Matt Campbell expressed uncertainty about quarterback depth behind Rocco Becht and disclosed that projected backup Alex Manske was away from the team and back home in Iowa for an unspecified reason that seemed to be more of a situation or condition than an injury.
"It's something he's been dealing with, but we felt it was the best to get it taken care of now so we can get him back ready for fall camp," Campbell said.
It turns out a week earlier, on March 16, Manske had open-heart surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
The revelation shocked Manske, who said this week, "I had no clue. I never felt anything to make me feel I had something wrong."
Joe Resendez, Penn State's director of football sports medicine, discovered the irregularity during a routine checkup.
"One thing we do here as our physical onboarding is put everybody through an extensive cardiology screening that includes an EKG and an echo, and the echo revealed an abnormality at the time," Resendez said in a video released by Penn State.
Resendez came with Campbell to Penn State from Iowa State after serving as head athletic trainer in the NBA (for the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings) for 12 years.
"We got (Manske) to the Mayo Clinic and got him in front of the right cardiac team," Resendez said.
He stayed in Minnesota five days and while rehabbing in his native Iowa -- where he was the state's No. 2 prospect in 2024 -- Manske kept in touch with the Nittany Lions by participating in positional meetings on Zoom.
"I don't feel like I missed that much, and I've been able to shake the rust off," Manske told reporters Thursday at the Lasch Building.
He did admit to fearing the worst upon learning the diagnosis of a dilated aortic root, which can lead to an aneurysm.
"My mom told me she didn't think I was going to play football again," he said. "When I got the news I was cleared, it was the weight of the world removed. Anyone's biggest fear is finding something you didn't know you had."
When the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Manske returned to the team in July, Campbell called it a "monumental win."
"Most injuries occur in the sport -- preparing for the sport or in practice or a game," Campbell said Thursday. "Anytime injuries occur outside the sport, it is startling, and what he was diagnosed with was tough. We've had such a connection with him and his family. To watch him emotionally, knowing what the family went through, it's scary. There were scary moments in pre- and post-surgery.
"Where he is today is a blessing."
Receiver Brett Eskildsen, one of Manske's closest friends, said, "It's an unbelievable story. I call him the 'miracle child.'''
The quarterbacks aren't being hit in the scrimmages -- there's another one scheduled for Beaver Stadium today -- but Manske will not shy away from contact.
In fact, last week, he asked quarterbacks coach Jake Waters to test him.
"The other day before the scrimmage, he came up to and said, 'Can you hit me - specifically in the chest?" Waters said. "He's not scared."
Manske smiled at the topic.
"There have been a few instances where I've gotten bumped," he said. "But it's not like they're teeing off on me. Doctors and trainers are telling me I'm good. They're treating me like they have before."
Campbell is pleased for Manske -- and for the Lions. Beyond starter Rocco Becht, Penn State doesn't have a QB who has attempted a pass against an FBS opponent.
Manske appeared in three games as a true freshman for Iowa State in 2025 and completed four of five passes - all in last year's opener against South Dakota.
Surgery after his senior year in high school cost Manske last year's spring practice, too.
"He came back from that, and he kept getting better through the fall," Campbell, who considers Manske the Lions' potential starter in 2027, said.
Manske participated in a couple interview sessions this week and doesn't mind being asked about his heart surgery. He said he's felt "a lot of support," both from family and friends on the team and back home in Iowa.
"I think it's important to raise awareness on the subject," he said.
When the Nittany Lions open their season two weeks from today against Marshall, there's a decent chance Manske will enter the game at some point.
To what should be the biggest ovation of the day.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.