Penn State football is gathering the pieces from their devastating overtime loss to Oregon. But now must do it without star linebacker Tony Rojas.
He's the latest significant CFB injury. Blue and White Illustrated of On3/Rivals first reported the long-term injury Wednesday. Daniel Gallen of 247Sports added additional context on the matter.
“Rojas, who has started the first four games of the season, was absent from the media viewing window during practice earlier in the evening,” Gallen wrote.
It's not know what type of injury Rojas obtained, let alone the severity of the ailment and if he'll miss the remainder of the season. But PSU loses its latest impact linebacker in the room.
Tony Rojas became tackling machine for Penn State
Rojas entered the 2025 season as a pivotal returner to the College Football Playoff team of 2024. He helped slow down future top 10 NFL Draft pick Ashton Jeanty and Boise State, plus helped bottle a high-powered SMU offense.
The native of Fairfax, Virginia tallied a career-best 58 tackles with 35 solo stops and broke up four passes in 2024. He additionally grabbed three interceptions.
He placed second on the Nittany Lions with 25 tackles through the first four games. But he piled 13 solo stops including four behind the line of scrimmage. Rojas added value as a pass rusher too — becoming responsible for five total QB pressures.
Rojas is a junior who's eligible to return next season, which becomes a fourth at PSU. But the now No. 7 Nittany Lions must move forward without one of their leading defenders — including relying on a College Football Transfer Portal addition.
Amare Campbell has played 194 total snaps since arriving via North Carolina. Campbell grabbed 15 tackles and eight solo stops in the home loss to the Ducks.
Dominic DeLuca joins Campbell in leading the LB unit post Rojas. He had three tackles with two solo stops and has split time at the Mike and Will linebacker spots for head coach James Franklin and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Franklin, meanwhile, warned pundits about writing off Penn State after Saturday's defeat. Even after facing frustrated Nittany Lions fans as he and PSU walked off the field. Now they get 0-4 UCLA on the road inside the Rose Bowl Saturday with Rojas out.
