There are few things as iconic to Penn State football as the linebacker position.

From Jack Ham to Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington, Paul Posluszny, Micah Parsons, and so forth, Linebacker U prides itself on tradition and a hard-nosed, blue-collar style of play.

With the Nittany Lions undergoing massive roster turnover following the 2025 season, the linebacker room will have a completely different feel entering 2026.

While veteran Tony Rojas announced he would return to Happy Valley, Amare Campbell’s departure was a significant loss for Matt Campbell’s squad. Additionally, team captain Dom DeLuca graduated at the end of last season, leaving a void in leadership and experience.

Luckily, a combination of transfers and bright young stars will help ensure the linebacker room stays its course and continues its reign of dominance. With Tyson Veidt serving as the group’s coach, he will prioritize players gaining experience with the green dot before the season, emphasizing communication and leadership responsibilities.

Projected Starters

One of the biggest questions of the offseason was whether or not Rojas would return to Happy Valley to play for Campbell. After a breakout 2024 season that featured 58 total tackles, 35 solo and 23 assisted, one sack, three interceptions, and a touchdown, Rojas’ 2025 was cut short following an ACL tear suffered in practice. 

There is no doubt that Rojas will be the No. 1 linebacker in the fall, and he is optimistic that he will be at full health for Penn State’s 2026 campaign. His presence gives Veidt and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn versatility in constructing their scheme.

“You’ll see [Rojas] at several spots this fall, not just at one spot,” Veidt said.

Campbell shares his assistant’s sentiment and views Rojas as the X-factor in the linebacker room. He likens Rojas’ ability to serve in multiple roles to Zion Tracy’s talents in the defensive backfield.

“We’re really fortunate for Tony to come back and want to lead our football program,” Campbell said.

In addition to the Penn State veteran, Rojas will be joined by new faces from Iowa State that will look to make an immediate impact as starters, with Caleb Bacon and Kooper Ebel chief among them.

In Bacon’s 2025 junior season with the Cyclones, he recorded 68 total tackles. He also accounted for three sacks, one forced fumble, and three pass deflections.

Similar to Rojas, Bacon is another piece of the puzzle that Campbell believes will provide the team with adaptability, having experience at multiple positions.

“If you look at Caleb, he’s played defensive end, to mike and will linebacker. He gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of being a chess piece for us,” Campbell said. 

Ebel tied the team lead in tackles during his junior season at Iowa State with 77 total, a figure that included 38 solo and 39 assisted. He also tallied one sack, one forced fumble, and three pass deflections. 

“I think every time he came out to spring, you saw Kooper Ebel having a crazy sprint goal,” Penn State running back Carson Hansen said. “He’s been awesome. I’m actually his roommate, so we’re pretty close. We spend a lot of time together, and I really appreciate him. He’s out there. He’s a beast.”

Supporting Cast

Campbell has been high on young linebacker Alex Tatsch from the moment the new coach arrived in State College. He didn’t mince his words when talking about the legacy Tatsch could leave behind when all is said and done, either.

“I think Tatsch has got a chance to be one of the great linebackers of all time here,” he said.

In 2025, Tatsch appeared in six games as a freshman, recording seven solo tackles, 14 total tackles, and one pass breakup. He played a big role down the stretch in Rojas’ absence, stepping up when the unit was in need of reinforcements.

Expect Tatsch to get a significant amount of reps in his sophomore season, serving as a go-to option for Veidt in the fall. 

Iowa State transfer Cael Brezina is also likely to see ample playing time. The sophomore recorded 29 total tackles last season in nine games played, including 14 solo. 

Brezina has experience wearing the green dot under Campbell, which should prove valuable as he continues to develop as a depth piece at linebacker.

Cam Smith is another name that fans can expect to hear throughout the season. During spring ball, putting on weight was a focus for him. Since arriving on campus, the redshirt freshman has put on 25 pounds. 

“That’s really where we were trying to start,” Veidt said. “Physically getting him ready to play the position, simply with armor, with body weight, with the things he needs to perform the duty at linebacker.”

Development Pieces

Chris Fileppo will likely see little playing time but will certainly aim to make an impact down the road. 

He transferred from West Virginia after the 2025 season, having played 12 games at safety as a freshman. He recorded 12 tackles in that span, including one for a loss. 

Fileppo underwent a position change after transferring to Penn State and will likely be third in the middle linebacker chain of command, behind Rojas and Bacon. 

“They’re doing a really good job. They both have a lot of different strengths,” Brezina said about Smith and Fileppo. “Blitzing, tackling like they’ve been really, really impressive to all of us. So we’re excited to see how they continue to learn and grow.”

John Klosterman is another member of the linebacker group that will likely sit behind some of his teammates this season. The redshirt senior also transferred from Iowa State after spending three seasons with the cardinal and gold. 

In three seasons, Klosterman tallied 18 total tackles, 10 of those being solo.