Penn State’s Tony Rojas Has Size, Work Ethic to Become ‘Elite’ Linebacker

There’s a play that will always stick with Penn State’s Tony Rojas. There he was near the line of scrimmage, knees bent and prepared to tackle the UMass running back running toward him. What appeared to be a surefire stop for Rojas ended in anything but, as the ball carrier trucked him backwards and picked up a first down. Rojas hasn’t skipped a leg day since.

Rojas is now a sophomore. He’s more mature. He’s more confident. He knows better than almost any second-year player what it takes to play every week of a season. And most of all, Rojas has put on some significant weight. Running backs may want to think twice before trying to run over the Nittany Lions’ newest expected starting linebacker.

“I'm prepared. I mean, this offseason that's what it was all about — my preparation, and how I go along with my day, every day,” Rojas said.

Rojas wasn’t undersized by any means when he first joined the team last offseason. He was the size of a typical linebacker, and big enough to see time in all 13 games last season. But now, Rojas stands at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds, up over 40 pounds since he first stepped foot on campus.

Many times, James Franklin said, young linebackers believe they need to add more weight than they actually do. This has the potential to limit speed and agility with increased weight. Rojas isn’t like the rest. Although he has grown significantly, his athletic traits haven’t wavered. They’ve only improved.

“He’s gained a lot of good weight and gotten faster, which is a testament to him, his work and our strength staff and all that they do. … I think you’re gonna see a combination of speed and a really good athlete,” defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tom Allen said.

Rojas will replace another gifted athlete this fall. That would be Abdul Carter, who moved to defensive end in the spring. In some ways, the two have comparable attributes. Both are big, fast, physical and typically fit best in pass-rushing schemes.

Rojas isn’t limited to any set, his “range” setting him apart from others, Allen said. But when it comes to explosiveness off the edge, that’s where Rojas is projected to shine most of all.

“I feel like (last season), I was twitchy enough. But for me, this offseason just working on the edge, whether it's blitzes or just packages on the edge, I feel like it's really what I improved on; just my confidence,” Rojas said.

To fully understand what it takes to become a weapon on the edge, Rojas watched Carter. And to grasp a well-rounded concept of pass coverage, he took after safety Kevin Winston Jr. By simply watching their tendencies over the course of his freshman year, Rojas developed a world-class work ethic. That’s something he’d like to pass on to the next generation of Lions.

Franklin recently held meetings to check in with each of his freshmen. It was there that he brought some players along, Rojas being one, to serve as a sounding board for any questions the freshmen may have for a player specifically. His presence is said to have brought comfort.

Perhaps Rojas is a captain in the making, like his linebacker counterparts in Kobe King and Dominic DeLuca.

“He’s gonna keep going in his verbal leadership,” Allen said. “That’s tough when you’re young, and I don’t even expect as much from him as what I’d (expect) from a guy like Kobe, that’s been here years and viewed as one of the leaders of our whole team. But for him, as a linebacker, that eventually needs to be an extent for him.”

For now, Rojas can only master his responsibilities. And he’ll have plenty. Penn State’s defense is once again anticipated to be among the nation’s best, and Rojas will be called upon to help lead one of its most gifted units. His coaches have no concerns about his ability to handle the heat.

“You’re just going to see a big, physical guy that can run really, really well. And I think has a really good set of work habits allowing him to be elite,” Allen said.

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