James Franklin said at his Monday press conference after Penn State’s White Out loss to Oregon that the Nittany Lions were working towards getting more depth at linebacker. Two days later, that sentiment is gone with the wind.

Starting linebacker Tony Rojas suffered a long-term injury with an indefinite timetable to return. Despite his injury, Penn State is focused on getting the next man up and getting back on track against UCLA.

But will it be that easy?

Rojas is easily one of the most crucial playmakers on Penn State’s defense. He’s dominated his role alongside UNC transfer Amare Campbell in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ first year at the helm. Rojas has 25 total stops, 13 of which are solo tackles, two sacks, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and one pass deflection in Penn State’s four games.

Rojas and Campbell have been one of Penn State’s brightest spots as a whole, and the already thin linebacker room simply gets thinner as Big Ten play heats up. With the Nittany Lions gearing up for multiple “prove it” games after their loss to Oregon, Penn State can’t dwell on Rojas’ injury for very long.

“Obviously Dom [DeLuca] will step will step into that role, and then obviously we’ll have discussions about green-lighting possibly both [Alex] Tatsch and Cam [Smith],” Franklin said after practice on Wednesday.

DeLuca is one of Penn State’s most experienced players and a leader on the team, making him Franklin’s obvious choice to replace Rojas. The redshirt senior has 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and one sack in four games to start the season.

Tatsch and Smith are both true freshmen who Franklin said have impressed so far. Tatsch even saw some time on the field in the second half of Penn State’s week three win over Villanova. He tabbed three solo tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Smith, however, hasn’t gotten an on-field taste of college ball yet.

“He’s a young guy, he’s a focused guy for sure,” defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. said of Smith. “I’ve seen him in here a lot, just with his coaches trying to learn. He’s a dedicated guy. He’s trying to get his technique and things right so he can get on the field and play.”

With Rojas gone, Franklin and Co. made it clear that there’s no other choice but to move on and continue getting better as the weeks roll on. While he can’t make an impact on the field itself, Franklin expects Rojas to help out the defense and overall team in any way he can.

“The hardest part is the initial shock of it, the initial news of it. But the next guy is going to have to step up,” Franklin said. “And I think the sooner that Tony [Rojas] can get involved in helping prepare those guys and getting them ready to play, the better we’ll be and the better he’ll be, because it’ll keep him busy and engaged.”

Defensive end Zuriah Fisher mentioned that he met with Rojas on Tuesday night after his injury and told him to keep his head held high. Fisher was in Rojas’ shoes ahead of the 2024 season after suffering a long-term injury in spring practice. He missed the entire year and 2025’s opener against Nevada.

Ford is also no stranger to injury throughout his time at Penn State. He missed the entire 2023 season and has his 2024 season cut short after suffering another long-term affliction against Minnesota in November.

“For me, when I was injured, it was just keeping a positive mind, keeping a positive attitude, and he’s coming in every day to work,” Ford said. “I know he’s a hard worker, so it doesn’t really matter what challenges he faces in life, I know he’s gonna tackle hard. He’ll be good.”

Penn State is looking for certain sparks across the board, given the dull narratives surrounding the team following its loss to the Ducks. The Nittany Lions don’t want Rojas’ injury to add to a negative mood within the Lasch Building despite the monumental hole it creates. There’s no other way but forward for Penn State, and the team is choosing to face the reality of the situation rather than dig a deeper hole.

“It’s a big loss, but I mean, it’s always next man up, whoever prepared for it,” Ford said. “It sounds crazy to say, but he’s not the first person to really go down with injury. We’ve got kind of used to people getting injured in sport. It’s a hard, tough sport. You just gotta lock your mind back into it and just go. Can’t dwell on it too much.”