Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas has become a centerpiece of the Nittany Lions' defense. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)
Another gut punch for Penn State Football.
Just a few days after the Nittany Lions‘ loss to Oregon, star Linebacker, Tony Rojas has been injured.
Sources have confirmed that Rojas was injured in practice and Tuesday evening and it appears he will miss a significant amount of time
Who’s Next Up at Linebacker?
Rojas was Penn State’s second leading tackler behind Amare Campbell. The Virginia Junior recorded 25 total tackles, and two sacks 4 games into the 2025 campaign. The Jim Knowles led defense will miss Rojas’s presence.
Next in line appears to be senior Dominic DeLuca.
DeLuca has played plenty of quality snaps in a Penn State uniform before, but will be asked to fill Rojas’s big shoes.
Other names to potentially emerge are Keon Wylie, Anthony Speca, and Alex Tatsch.
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Wylie, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, could be asked to take on an expanded role, after posing five total tackles through Penn State’s first three games of the season.
The Philadelphia native missed the 2024 campaign after suffering an injury.
“Keon started to really come on (in 2023),” Penn State linebackers coach Dan Connor told reporters recently. “He was a high school defensive end, so the transition to linebacker is always going to take a little time. You’re seeing the game from a different perspective, so he started to get more and more comfortable in Year 1, Year 2. And then you saw the end of (2023), he was playing at a really, really high level.”
Ian Purdy covers Penn State Football Recruiting for NittanyCentral.
Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.
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