It’s Time to Watch Penn State Linebacker Tony Rojas… Again

Watch Tony Rojas. He’ll be back at linebacker for Penn State on Saturday against Marshall, the culmination of a journey that seemingly took him everywhere, but ultimately brought him back to Beaver Stadium.

WATCH TONY ROJAS…

• Return to the field where he last played in a college football game, 339 days ago, when Oregon defeated Penn State, 30-24, in an overtime Whiteout that effectively ended the Nittany Lions’ national championship aspirations.

• Return from a nasty ACL tear that occurred 336 days ago, at a Penn State practice that ended Rojas’ season, and put him on an arduous and emotional journey of surgery, rehabilitation and contemplation about his future.

• Take the field as the most well-known of all the Penn State players who stayed at Penn State after James Franklin was fired and went to Virginia Tech (taking many of the teammates of Rojas, who is a Virginia native), and then Matt Campbell arrived from Iowa State, bringing two dozen of his own players.

• Talk on Tuesday about getting back onto the field: “I feel like, you know, the old Tony, and I just feel back, back to normal…just being able to be out there with the guys and, you know, just play just football, play fast and, you know, just have the mentality. It’s been great. I’ve had a good camp and it’s been exciting.”

WATCH TONY ROJAS…

• On the 2026 Hispanic College Football Player Award watch list.

• On the 2026 Comeback Player of the Year watch list.

• On the Lott IMPACT Award watch list, honoring college football’s defensive best in character and performance.

• On the Football Freaks List, compiled by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, at No. 25, thanks to a 385-pound bench press and a 36-inch vertical jump.

• On Phil Steele’s Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team.

WATCH TONY ROJAS…

• Get Penn State fans get up in arms when some Rojas social media posts had folks wondering where he would play college football in 2026…then watched Nittany Nation exalt after his post on X on Jan. 2, 2026:

• Embrace his role as a team leader and one of the few players on the 2026 Nittany Lions’ roster who has been at Penn State for each of the past four years.

• Share on Tuesday that, “Yeah, I’d say I just feel more responsibility of being a leader. Obviously being a vet, a senior… being a leader this year, my senior year, and having had a lot of playing time. It’s just having wisdom and bringing knowledge for the guys and just being someone that’s approachable for everyone. So that’s my goal.”

• Drive around town in his slick and distinctive shiny light purple sports car.

• Play for four different defensive coordinators in four different seasons at Penn State, and then say why he is all-in on the current DC, D’Anton Lynn, who was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions at cornerback: “It’s amazing and cool to play for somebody who actually played football. Obviously, Lynn playing here was cool and a blessing given his experience. The way he coaches us has been great and different. He always wants to hear our feedback.”

(Rojas’ first three coordinators: Manny Diaz, Tom Allen and Jim Knowles.)

• Compile these stats in just 33 games: 105 tackles (56 solo), 14 for a loss, three sacks and four interceptions. Speaking of which…

WATCH TONY ROJAS…

• Grab a pick-six for a touchdown against SMU in the 2024 College Football Playoff in Beaver Stadium, which was preceded by fellow linebacker Dom DeLuca’s own pick-six. Rojas’ interception of SMU QB Kevin Jenning and 59-yard return for a TD showed the moves he had as a running back at Fairfax (Va.) High School, where he ran for 2,239 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior.