Penn State head coach Matt Campbell landed a big commitment from a proven leader and key piece of the defense, as linebacker Tony Rojas announced he will be returning to the field for the Nittany Lions for the 2026 campaign.
— Tony Rojas (@Tony_Rojas5) January 1, 2026
“I’m ready to finish what me and my teammates started and am ready to flip this thing and tell an incredible story with Coach Campbell and his new staff,” Rojas said in his statement. “I have 100% belief in what Coach Campbell will do here at Penn State and it’s only right for me to stay and help lead the way to bring this place where it is meant to be.
Rojas was injured during practice prior to the UCLA game and should be eligible for a redshirt this season since he only appeared in four games in 2025.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Prior to his injury, Rojas had 25 tackles including 4.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He has amassed 105 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss and three sacks in his 33 games for the Nittany Lions.
Getting Rojas back into the fold is a huge positive for a team likely to hit the portal hard to fill in missing pieces in Campbell’s first year at the helm. Rojas will also be joined by Alex Tatsch who announced his return to Happy Valley earlier on Thursday.
This will be the fourth different coordinator Rojas will have at Penn State as the Nittany Lions are expected to hire former Penn State letterman D’Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator in the coming days.
