When discussing the greatest linebackers in Penn State history, the conversation usually begins with familiar names.
Jack Ham. Dennis Onkotz. Shane Conlan. LaVar Arrington. Paul Posluszny.
More recently, Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter have carried the Linebacker U. tradition into a new generation, becoming household names long before their college careers ended.
Both shifted from being traditional linebackers into dynamic EDGE players.
Somewhere in that conversation, Tony Rojas is making a compelling argument that he deserves more attention.
While Penn State’s disappointing 3-4 start under Matt Campbell has dominated the headlines, Rojas is quietly putting together one of the most impressive individual defensive seasons in the country.
His production is becoming almost impossible to ignore.
Through seven games, Rojas leads Penn State with 56 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also has two interceptions, two passes defended and a forced fumble.
Nationally, his 10.5 tackles for loss rank among the country’s best, placing Rojas in a tie for fifth nationally, behind Texas’ Colin Simmons, Indiana’s Tobi Osunsanmi and a handful of others.
Those numbers tell only part of the story.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Rojas owns an 85.3 overall defensive grade, including an 81.1 run-defense grade, 80.2 coverage grade and 78.8 tackling grade.
Just as impressive is his missed tackle percentage at 9.1% which is getting into the elite territory. That is a substantial improvement from the 22.1% he posted in 2024.
From The Highest High To The Lowest Low
Rojas has already experienced moments that will forever connect him to Penn State football history.
His interception return for a touchdown against SMU in December 2024 came during the first College Football Playoff game ever played at Beaver Stadium.
It was the kind of moment players dream about.
A defensive touchdown on college football’s biggest stage, in front of a home crowd witnessing something unprecedented.
Then came the other side of football.
Last season, Rojas underwent season-ending surgery shortly before Penn State’s trip to UCLA, ending his campaign after only four games.
The Nittany Lions subsequently spiraled, unable to recover from a season that unraveled in stunning fashion.
For Rojas, the injury meant watching from the sidelines instead of helping teammates navigate those struggles.
Now healthy, he has returned as arguably Penn State’s most indispensable defensive player.
Yet individual recognition means little to him while the losses continue mounting.
“Obviously, I’ll look back at film and see what I need to get better at and what I did well, and just improve on those things,” Rojas said following Penn State’s 21-18 loss at Michigan.
“For me, those things kind of wash away when we get losses. I’d rather get a win and have zero tackles. That’s just the kind of player I am and the kind of team player I am.”
Chasing Rare Company At Linebacker U.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of Rojas’ season is his ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Since Penn State began officially tracking sacks in 1975, linebackers leading the program in sacks have been relatively uncommon.
Larry Kubin accomplished the feat in 1978 and 1979, recording 12 and 15 sacks, respectively. However, Kubin was an outside linebacker who frequently aligned as a defensive end.
Cameron Wake, then known as Derek Wake, was a leader in 2003 while occupying a similar hybrid role.
Two more traditional linebackers provide particularly relevant comparisons.
Posluszny shared Penn State’s team lead with three sacks in 2004, while Carter led the Nittany Lions with 6.5 sacks as a freshman linebacker in 2022.
While leading the team with five sacks, Rojas is generating pressure while maintaining the responsibilities of a traditional linebacker.
What makes his production especially impressive is his versatility.
PFF credits Rojas with 162 run-defense snaps, 128 coverage snaps and just 35 pass-rushing snaps this season.
He isn’t exclusively hunting quarterbacks.
He’s defending the run, dropping into coverage and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.
That’s the complete skill set traditionally associated with Linebacker U.
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For all his individual success, Rojas understands Penn State’s defense remains unfinished.
Michigan’s second-half rushing success exposed problems that continue to haunt the Nittany Lions.
Rojas acknowledged Penn State introduced different defensive calls after halftime, suggesting the unit needs to trust what it executes best.
“Sometimes you’ve got to stick to the things that we’re good at,” Rojas said. “That’s something we’re going to improve on.”
He also identified a recurring problem.
“Sometimes we lack some details at certain moments, in the big moments,” Rojas said. “We just got to do us rather than try to play superhero ball.”
That perspective is telling, especially coming from a player producing at such a high level.
Rojas understands that individual heroics cannot consistently compensate for defensive breakdowns.
Neither can one outstanding linebacker solve every problem.
Becoming The Leader Penn State Needs
With injuries affecting Penn State’s linebacker depth, including Alex Tatsch’s absence, Rojas has assumed greater responsibility for developing younger teammates.
He understands his role extends beyond making tackles.
“I think it starts in practice,” Rojas said. “As linebackers, we’re kind of the leaders of the pack, so we have to continue bringing people up.”
“I’m a senior in the group, so I have to continue bringing the young guys along. Cam, Cale and Kooper are alongside us, so I just have to continue doing that in practice. I think they’ll continue to grow.”
That leadership becomes especially important during a four-game losing streak.
Penn State has struggled to finish games, something Campbell emphasized following the Michigan loss.
When I asked Rojas what the Nittany Lions must do to play four complete quarters, his answer reflected the accountability he expects from himself and his teammates.
“Whether we’re up or down, we have to have that finishing factor,” Rojas said.
“If we’re down, we can’t let up and feel too sorry for ourselves. If we’re up, we can’t continue letting them run the ball, or whatever it is, as a defense.”
His message was straightforward.
“We have to stay the course and not get sad because we’re losing or get too anxious or happy because we’re winning.”
A Legacy Still Being Written
Penn State’s linebacker tradition has never been defined exclusively by statistics.
The program’s greatest players combined production, toughness, instincts and leadership.
Rojas is demonstrating those qualities during a season that has offered far more adversity than anyone anticipated.
There is still considerable football remaining, and seven games do not automatically place someone alongside Ham, Arrington or Posluszny.
Those comparisons require sustained excellence.
But Rojas is building a compelling case.
His tackling has improved. His pass-rushing production is approaching historically uncommon territory for a traditional Penn State linebacker. His versatility makes him difficult to replace.
And perhaps most importantly, his leadership has become increasingly valuable as Penn State searches for answers.
Rojas has already experienced the exhilaration of making history at Beaver Stadium and the helplessness of watching a season slip away from the sidelines.
Now he’s experiencing something different.
He’s becoming the player Penn State needs during one of its most difficult stretches.
Whether the Nittany Lions turn their season around remains uncertain.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that Linebacker U. has another name worth remembering.
