Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
DC News Now
Tony Rojas in line to be next great Penn State linebacker
By Riley Holsinger,
1 day ago
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.
STATE COLLEGE, PA – APRIL 13: Tony Rojas #13 looks on before the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 13, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0