This is one in a series of stories breaking down each player on Penn State football’s 2026 roster.
Tony Rojas has already shown Penn State what he can be.
Now the question is how quickly he can get back there?
Rojas entered the 2025 season as one of the most important defensive players on Penn State’s roster. He was coming off a 2024 season in which he started 16 games, earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and became one of the defense’s most active playmakers.
Then his season was cut short.
Rojas suffered a long-term injury after playing in four games, leaving Penn State without one of its top linebackers for the rest of the year.
That makes his 2026 season one of the more important individual storylines on the roster.
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 236 pounds
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
High School: Fairfax
Eligibility: Redshirt junior
Before Penn State
High School: Rojas was a two-way star at Fairfax High School and one of the top prospects in Virginia.
As a senior, he accounted for 2,744 yards and 36 touchdowns on offense while also producing 46 tackles, six sacks, five forced fumbles and two pass breakups on defense.
As a junior, he rushed for 1,588 yards and 24 touchdowns, caught 23 passes for 408 yards and five touchdowns and added 40 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
He was rated as a four-star prospect and one of the top linebackers in the country.
2023: Rojas played immediately as a true freshman, appearing in all 13 games on defense and special teams.
He finished the season with 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception. His first career tackle came against West Virginia, and he continued to build his role throughout the year.
Rojas had two tackles against West Virginia, Delaware and Iowa. He recorded three tackles against UMass and had his first career tackle for loss against Northwestern. He forced his first career fumble in the fourth quarter against Rutgers and added a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss against Michigan State.
His freshman season also included an interception in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss.
The advanced numbers showed the flashes.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rojas played 122 defensive snaps in 2023. He earned an 83.5 overall defensive grade, 78.4 run-defense grade, 77.1 tackling grade, 88.6 pass-rush grade and 70.0 coverage grade.
It wasn’t a full-time role, but it was an important introduction.
Rojas looked like a player with rare athleticism, range and disruption ability for a young linebacker.
2024: The breakout came in 2024.
Rojas started all 16 games at linebacker and finished with 58 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and four pass breakups.
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and was named Penn State’s Coaching Staff Defensive Player of the Game against SMU.
Rojas was one of Penn State’s most productive defensive playmakers in coverage. He finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten with three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthew_CFB/status/1870529700080316798/video/1?s=46
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.His season included five tackles at West Virginia, a pass breakup and quarterback hurry against Kent State, three tackles and his first career interception against UCLA, and a highlight 59-yard pick-six against SMU.
He also produced in Penn State’s postseason run, recording seven tackles against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, four tackles against SMU in the College Football Playoff, four tackles against Boise State and three tackles against Notre Dame.
PFF credited Rojas with 656 defensive snaps in 2024, including 316 against the run, 50 as a pass rusher and 290 in coverage. His coverage grade was excellent at 90.9.
But the season also showed where he still needed to grow.
His 43.7 run-defense grade and 44.3 tackling grade reflected inconsistency in the box. PFF charted him with 19 missed tackles and a 22.1% missed tackle rate.
Rojas was already dangerous.
The next step was becoming more complete.
2025: Rojas looked like he was taking that step before his season ended.
He played in four games and made four starts before a season-ending injury, finishing with 20 tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.
His production came quickly. He had two tackles and a pass breakup against Nevada, nine tackles and two sacks against FIU, three tackles against Villanova and six tackles against Oregon.
The FIU game was the clearest example of what Rojas could become when everything came together. He impacted the game as a tackler, blitzer and second-level athlete, giving Penn State a linebacker who could change downs without coming off the field.
PFF’s early-season profile backed up the eye test.
In 176 defensive snaps, Rojas earned a 73.5 overall defensive grade, 73.2 run-defense grade, 76.4 tackling grade, 71.4 pass-rush grade and 68.3 coverage grade.
The biggest improvement came in tackling.
After missing 19 tackles in 2024, Rojas missed only two in 2025. His missed tackle rate dropped from 22.1% to 8.3%.
The sample size was smaller, but the trend was indicative of Rojas taking the next critical steps of being a complete linebacker.
Rojas was not just flashing athleticism. He was becoming more reliable.
Where he stands: Rojas is still one of Penn State’s highest-upside defensive players.
The linebacker room has changed around him. Matt Campbell brought in familiar pieces such as Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina, while Penn State still has younger options developing behind them.
But Rojas is different.
He has already started at a high level in the Big Ten. He has shown he can cover. He can pressure the quarterback. He can run. He can create turnovers. When healthy, he gives Penn State the kind of second-level athlete modern defenses need.
The biggest question is health.
If Rojas returns to form, he could be one of the centerpieces of D’Anton Lynn’s first Penn State defense. If he builds on the improvement he showed early in 2025, he could be more than that.
Rojas has already been productive.
Now he has a chance to become complete.
