Penn State is home to some of the greatest college linebackers of all time.

With names such as Lavar Arrington, Tamba Hali, NaVorro Bowman, and Micah Parsons coming before you, there are going to be massive shoes to fill for any player.

In the case of junior linebacker Tony Rojas, there has been a buzz going about this season. In 2024, his first year as a starting linebacker for the Nittany Lions, Rojas finished with 58 total tackles, including 35 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, and three interceptions, one of them going to the house against SMU in the College Football Playoff.

Rojas was decent last season, but he could’ve been better. The linebacker was evidently dealing with a lingering shoulder injury for a good chunk of the season. After he repaired the injury this winter, there were still questions left unanswered for the Penn State faithful.

Will Rojas be as good as he was at the tail-end of the season last year after repairing his injury? Have we seen the best Rojas can offer?

“[I’m] not hesitating. Just playing fast is my biggest thing. Whether I have a mistake or whatever, just play fast. You know mistakes will happen, but at the end of the day, the more you hesitate, the more complex it is,” Rojas said after shutting out FIU.

In the season-opener against Nevada, Rojas had three tackles, including two solo. During Saturday’s game against FIU, Rojas went off, leading the team in tackles with 10, including six solo, 0.5 tackles for loss, and two quarterback hurries. If this is a sign for the future, Rojas hasn’t scratched the surface of how good he can be.

The talent in the linebacker room goes well past Rojas, though. Whether it’s from returning stars such as Dom DeLuca, young players such as Anthony Speca and Keon Wylie, or a transfer portal addition in Amare Campbell. Rojas has found a way to turn this competition into a positive fuel for his performance. The main form of competition would be in mike linebacker and North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell.

“He’s just brought competition to the room. That’s what we need. When there’s not really competition in the room for us, we just tend to get complacent. I think just bringing him in…you can’t settle for less. There’s someone behind you who can step right up. Just having that between all of us LBs, I think the competition has raised all of us,” Rojas said.

In Penn State’s first season under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ direction, Penn State made a scheme shift to mainly the 4-2-5 defense. Fewer linebackers on the field means more competition for playing time.

Campbell has reportedly shown out to coaches since arriving in the offseason, offering his best work at the mike linebacker position, a position he would evidently share with DeLuca. As the sole will linebacker, Rojas has been a rock for the Nittany Lions’ defense in the first two games of the season.

“He’s an athletic freak. He’s so quick, he’s fast. I’m excited for him this year. He’s able to come downhill, make plays, and he’s doing a lot of extra film work to take his game to the next level,” DeLuca said postgame.

When it comes down to it, the Nittany Lions will need Rojas to remain productive on the defensive side of the ball. The starting pair of him and Campbell has proved to be a real difference maker at the second level. After feeling slandered by preseason evaluations, where the linebacker room was rated low in terms of position power rankings, Rojas has pledged that the group plays with a chip on their shoulder every game.