Penn State has long held the moniker of “LBU,” and despite switching to a 4-2-5 base defense in recent seasons, the Nittany Lions are still upholding that standard.
Depth at the position was a major question mark this offseason, with Tony Rojas and Dom DeLuca as the only returning players with significant game experience. The addition of North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell helped bolster the position, but questions remained about Rojas after a down year and Campbell after coming from a porous Tar Heel defense.
Through three games, the unit has performed at peak efficiency, with Campbell and Rojas — the team’s two starters — leading all defenders in tackles at 22 and 18, respectively. In addition to being the season leaders, they’ve been the team leaders in each of the first three games, with Campbell setting the pace against Nevada and Villanova and Rojas doing so against Florida International. And despite seeing fewer snaps, DeLuca is tied for the fourth most tackles on the team.
“It’s really a dream come true, man, just being out there with my brother and we’re pushing each other every day, every practice,” Campbell said about Rojas after Saturday’s game.
Campbell was tied for the second most tackles at UNC last season with 76, and he’s on pace to have 88 through 12 games, plus any postseason additions. But as much fun as he’s had training with Rojas, he admitted there’s been a learning curve.
“I feel like, week in and week out, we’re getting better,” Campbell said. “Like, every week our practices, our practices have been tough weekly so the games are easy. So I just feel like communication and everybody knowing their assignments was great.”
Rojas echoed those sentiments, saying the team is just beginning to get comfortable in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme, one James Franklin said is especially tough for linebackers and safeties to master.
“We’ve had a lot of install… It slowed down when the season started, so it’s kind of picking up,” Rojas said. “Everybody’s getting more confident, and I feel like that’s what’s making us play faster.”
Both Campbell and Rojas received their highest game grades of the season from PFF in Week 3. Rojas has been producing similar game grades to his freshman season after last year’s sophomore slump, in which he was playing injured much of the season. Through three games, he seems to be back to his old self, and then some.
In his first two seasons as a Nittany Lion, Rojas was credited with just one sack. Against the Wildcats, he had two. Campbell also lived in the backfield on Saturday with three tackles for loss. After the game, Campbell gave credit to Knowles for installing opportunities to generate havoc plays into the game plan.
“It’s amazing just the plays that he’s calling,” Campbell said. “Everybody executes. Everybody does their job. Everybody will make plays.”
Penn State’s offense has drawn scrutiny after each game so far, much of it warranted, but the defense has played at an elite level and is continuing to improve week after week. Led by the linebackers, the defense has looked like a unit capable of winning a national championship.
“Obviously what wins championships is defense, so we’ve got to be at a high standard, and we just gotta think of 0-0, every time, no matter what the score is,” Rojas said. “And you know, if they give us an inch, you know, we’ll take it and we’ll defend it.”
