Penn State’s entire roster received a dramatic transfer-infused makeover this offseason following the hiring of head coach Matt Campbell, but one of the key players from last year’s roster deciding to stay put in Happy Valley was linebacker Tony Rojas. Rojas sticking around was a big roster win for Campbell despite Rojas coming off a season-ending quad contusion injury from last season. This week, Rojas got a chance to provide an update on his recovery and potential status for the spring practice season.
“I’m on track right now, ahead of track,” Rojas said Wednesday, according to Lions247. “Most important thing is I’ll be full go all summer and past that.”
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Rojas also noted that he was unsure exactly what will happen in spring football practices, but that he will be good to go.
Rojas was Penn State’s fifth-leading tackler in 2024 as a sophomore, when he demonstrated his rise as a dominant player in the middle of the Penn State defense. Rojas had 58 total tackles with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Rojas also had two interceptions in 2024, including his 59-yard pick-six against SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Rojas was one of Penn State’s top overall players entering the 2025 season as he looked to build off the momentum of his sophomore season. But Rojas suffered his quad injury in the fourth game of the season, a home loss to Oregon. Penn State’s defense was immediately in disarray in his absence as they were shockingly roasted by UCLA the following week. When James Franklin was named the head coach at Virginia Tech, the threat of losing Rojas to the Hokies in the transfer portal was worth fearing. Rojas is a Virginia native and was one of the top recruits out of the state when Franklin recruited him to Penn State.
Penn State will hold its annual Blue-White spring game on Saturday, April 25. It is too soon to know if Rojas will be playing in that or not, but Rojas seems confident he will be ready to go all out once the season officially kicks off on September 5 at home against Marshall.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State LB Tony Rojas shares health update before spring practices
