Tony Rojas in line to be next great Penn State linebacker

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) – The three inevitable in life are death, taxes and Penn State having a great linebacker. With some linebacker legends like Micah Parsons, Jack Ham and LaVar Arrington previously suiting up for the Nittany Lions, all eyes are pointed to sophomore Tony Rojas becoming the next one for Linebacker U.

Rojas played all 13 games as a true freshman last year, which is uncommon in today’s college football landscape. The former four-star recruit didn’t have the most eye-popping numbers for the Nittany Lions last year as he finished with 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one interception.

With that, he made it an emphasis to grow this offseason in a multitude of areas such as reaction time, preparation and size. Rojas has gained nearly 40 pounds since he’s joined the program last season.

“I kind of just ate Chipotle every day (with) double chicken,” Rojas joked. “(I’m just) trusting in the strength staff every day coming in with a good mindset, knowing what I want to accomplish in my goals, which is to get bigger.”

When most players get bigger, normally their speed slightly drops off. That’s currently not the case for Rojas as he says that he’s gotten even faster this offseason.

His workload is also expected to drastically increase as Abdul Carter moves from linebacker to the defensive line. Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen notices that he’s physically and mentally ready to step up in the middle of the defense.

“All his hard work this offseason is showing up,” Allen said. (He’s shown) his size, his speed, his ability for him to make plays.”

Fans will be able to get their first look at Rojas and Allen’s defense this season on Saturday, Aug. 31 when the Nittany Lions travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia.

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