Penn State has spent much of this season searching for answers defensively.
Now, with Alex Tatsch lost for the season, Matt Campbell faces another uncomfortable question: How much more can his linebacker room withstand?
Tatsch’s season-ending injury comes at a particularly difficult time for a defense already struggling to establish consistency. With Michigan looming Saturday, Penn State must find a way to replace a developing linebacker without further exposing a unit that has been stretched thin.
The challenge goes beyond replacing one player. It involves determining who can handle additional responsibilities without creating another weakness elsewhere.
Tony Rojas remains the foundation of Penn State’s linebacking group, and increasingly, the player the Nittany Lions cannot afford to lose.
Through six games, Rojas is the highest graded defensive player per Pro Football Focus (PFF) with a minimum of 100 snaps at 85.2.
His importance extends beyond production. He provides the athleticism, range and stability that allow Penn State to build around him.
The versatility of Rojas extends to him being highest graded coverage defender for a non-secondary defender at 82.5, meanwhile his ability to pass rush has been excellent with a 25% pressure rate along with a team-leading four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
Rojas is becoming the defensive cornerstone Penn State envisioned. The problem is that the supporting cast remains unsettled.
Kooper Ebel has played 255 defensive snaps, but his tackling has been a persistent concern. While Ebel brings experience and physicality, missed tackles have undermined his reliability.
Per PFF, Ebel has a 20% missed-tackle rate. The goal is to be below 10%.
Against opponents capable of exploiting poor angles and broken tackles, that becomes a significant liability.
Penn State cannot expect Rojas to compensate for every defensive mistake. Someone else must become dependable.
Cael Brezina appears to be the next man up.
Brezina played 25 snaps against USC, trailing Rojas’ 56 and Ebel’s 46. With Tatsch unavailable, his responsibilities figure to increase.
However, asking an inexperienced linebacker to absorb a substantial workload against Michigan is hardly an ideal solution.
Campbell does have alternatives, although each comes with complications.
One possibility involves Caleb Bacon, whose versatility could become particularly valuable with a return to linebacker from the EDGE.
Bacon spent 2025 at Iowa State, where Pro Football Focus credited him with 393 snaps aligned in the box and another 134 along the defensive line. He recorded 45 tackles but missed 14 opportunities, producing an 18.7% missed-tackle rate.
His 2026 deployment at Penn State tells a different story.
Through six games, Bacon has played 147 snaps along the defensive line compared with just 14 in the box. His tackling numbers have also improved, with 14 tackles and five misses, although that 22.7% missed-tackle rate remains concerning.
Bacon’s experience playing closer to the second level gives Penn State flexibility, if he can clean up his tackling.
Then there is safety Marcus Neal Jr.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Neal played extensively around the box at Iowa State in 2025, accumulating 432 box snaps, 97 at free safety and 142 in the slot.
He finished with 62 tackles, 18 assists and 11 missed tackles, good for a 12.1% missed-tackle rate.
At Penn State, his role has changed considerably.
Through five games, Neal has played 91 snaps at free safety, 57 in the box and 20 in the slot. He has 17 tackles and two misses, a 9.1% missed-tackle rate.
Those numbers suggest Neal possesses the tackling reliability and positional experience necessary to contribute closer to the line of scrimmage.
Campbell acknowledged Wednesday that Neal could become part of the linebacker rotation.
“I think absolutely,” Campbell said, while emphasizing that such a transition requires time.
Neal’s experience makes him a legitimate option, but shifting positions midseason requires more than simply changing his alignment.
Cam Smith’s potential return offers another possibility. Smith has not played since suffering an injury against Temple, but Campbell confirmed he has returned to practice.
Smith could provide desperately needed depth, although his availability and effectiveness remain uncertain.
Special teams standout John Klosterman also deserves consideration.
Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig has championed Klosterman’s contributions, and his reliability in that phase could warrant an opportunity for additional defensive responsibilities.
Still, special teams success does not automatically translate into dependable linebacker play.
Penn State’s problem is no longer simply finding replacements. It is finding players capable of executing consistently.
Brezina offers opportunity. Bacon provides versatility. Neal brings experience and tackling reliability. Smith offers hope, while Klosterman represents another potential option.
None individually replaces Tatsch’s contributions.
And none can replace what Rojas means to this defense.
For Campbell, the solution may require using several players rather than expecting one to emerge.
Penn State’s linebacker room is running out of healthy bodies. More importantly, it is running out of opportunities to discover which combinations actually work.
Against Michigan, those answers cannot wait another week.
