LB
Redshirt Junior (Returning)
High-upside returning linebacker with verified 2024 production. Rojas can be a defensive centerpiece if healthy, but his 2026 projection should remain tied to rehab progress and early-season role clarity.
Tony Rojas is the returning linebacker with the highest ceiling in Penn State's 2026 defensive discussion. Penn State lists him as a redshirt junior at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, and his 2024 production already showed he can be more than a projection.
In 2024, Penn State credited Rojas with 16 starts, 58 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, and four pass breakups. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the coaches and produced one of the season's signature defensive plays with a 59-yard interception return touchdown against SMU.
The 2026 context is health and role definition. Public spring coverage had him working through a significant knee injury recovery, so the responsible profile is not simply "star linebacker." It is a high-upside returning defender whose final impact depends on availability, contact readiness, and how the new staff organizes the linebacker rotation.
If healthy, Rojas can affect all three downs: run fits, underneath coverage, pressure calls, and communication. That range is why his page deserves more than a stat-card treatment.
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