Tony Rojas is about to step back into Beaver Stadium, and for Penn State, that means getting one of its most important defensive voices back on the field.
The junior linebacker hasn’t played since the White Out game against Oregon 11 months ago, when he tore his ACL later that week and stopped what had been shaping up as a career season. Since then, Rojas has worked through rehab, got back on the field during summer workouts and fall camp, and spent plenty of time learning a new defense under first-year coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
Now he’s set to return Saturday against Marshall.
“Just being able to be out there with the guys and just play football, play fast, and just have the mentality,” Rojas said Tuesday. “I think it's been great, and I've had a very good camp, and it's been exciting.”
Even while he was sidelined, Rojas stayed central to what Penn State was building. He’s one of the most recognizable faces on the defense, and with a group that has a lot of experience from Iowa State but less familiarity with the Nittany Lions’ program, his voice mattered.
That role has only grown as he’s gotten older.
“Being a leader this year, my senior year, and having a lot of playing time and just being out here and having wisdom and knowledge for the guys,” Rojas said. “I just feel more of a responsibility of being a leader.”
His time in Lynn’s system has also helped him get comfortable with the new scheme faster, which in turn has made him a resource for teammates who are still trying to catch up. And for the transfers who haven’t yet experienced it, Rojas has also been talking up what it means to play at Beaver Stadium.
“The walk in, warmups, walking out of the tunnel, I think it’s something you have to embrace,” Rojas said. “I think they just need to experience Beaver.”
The offseason wasn’t just about recovery and leadership, though. Rojas used the time away to sharpen his game as a linebacker.
He has long been viewed as one of Penn State’s highest-ceiling defenders, but injuries have kept him from fully showing it. In 2024, he started full time while dealing with a lingering injury that required offseason surgery. Then in 2025, just as he seemed to be taking off, the ACL tear cut him down again.
During rehab, he studied film of Sonny Styles, Jacob Rodriguez and Fred Warner, looking for ways to expand his own toolbox.
“I’m just adding stuff to my game,” Rojas said. “I kind of rewatch my film and seeing how I’ve improved and adding stuff to my inventory.”
After nearly a year out, Rojas is ready to see those changes in action.
“I feel like the old Tony,” Rojas said.
In Other News...
Penn States Backup QB Is Forcing His Way Into The Offense
Alex Manskes path back to the field has already made him one of the more compelling stories around Penn State as the season opener against Marshall approaches. After recovering from open heart surgery, the backup quarterback is now expected to be available, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has made it clear Manske is not just along for the ride. His talent and versatility have put him in position to matter on offense right away, which says plenty about how quickly he has worked himself back into the conversation.
Rocco Becht has noticed the progress, too, and the starting quarterbacks confidence in Manske only adds to the sense that this could become more than a depth-chart note. For Penn State, having a reserve quarterback who can handle real snaps and potentially expand what the offense can do is a useful development before the first kickoff even arrives. The bigger question now is how large a role Manske can carve out once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Just Got A Tough NFL Cutdown Reality Check
The NFL preseason wrapped up with several former Penn State standouts making their case in the final weeks, and a few of them gave teams plenty to think about before cutdown day. Sean Clifford even threw a touchdown for the Cincinnati Bengals, while Dani Dennis-Sutton flashed with his first NFL sack for the Green Bay Packers and Dom DeLuca finished his preseason stint by leading the Baltimore Ravens in tackles. For Penn State fans, it was the kind of late-August run that reminded them how many familiar names are trying to carve out roles on pro rosters.
The final decisions still landed hard. Clifford was waived by Cincinnati as the Bengals opted to keep two quarterbacks, and DeLuca did not stick in Baltimore despite his tackle total. On the wide receiver front, the Los Angeles Chargers kept KeAndre Lambert-Smith on the roster, while Liam Clifford and Devonte Ross came up short, a mixed outcome that left Penn States NFL following with both a few wins to celebrate and a few disappointments to absorb. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Reopened One Of Its Most Sensitive Football Debates
Penn State Athletics is opening a new stop inside the All-Sports Museum at Beaver Stadium this week, and it is one sure to draw attention well beyond the usual campus crowd. The Paterno Family Football Experience Room will open to the public Thursday, giving visitors a closer look at one of the most complicated eras in the programs history through Joe Paternos original office desk, personal artifacts and a timeline of his Penn State legacy, along with other football history displays.
The room is being presented as part of a broader effort to preserve and tell the story of Penn State football, which means the museum is not just adding another exhibit but revisiting a name that still carries real weight in Happy Valley. For fans, alumni and anyone who follows the program closely, the space figures to become a focal point because it puts the schools most recognizable football figure back in the center of the conversation, even as the larger debate around how that history should be remembered remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]