Three Penn State football players have been named to the Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list, College Sports Communicators, in association with The Associated Press (AP) and Fiesta Sports Foundation, announced on Thursday.

Redshirt-senior safety Jeremiah Cooper, redshirt-sophomore edge rusher Max Granville, and redshirt-junior linebacker Tony Rojas all made the list.

Comeback Player of the Year Watch List @max_granville13 @Tony_Rojas5 @jeremiah1cooper pic.twitter.com/C3CMGrYX9E

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 20, 2026

The Comeback Player of the Year Award is one of college football’s newest, starting in 2018. It recognizes college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances.

Cooper, Rojas, and Granville are all coming back from long-term injuries suffered in 2025.

In what would’ve been his final collegiate season, Cooper tore his ACL in practice in mid-September, ending his season but allowing him to take a redshirt to remain eligible in 2026.

In 38 career games at Iowa State, he has made 134 tackles with 22 passes defended, eight interceptions, 4.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Rojas also saw limited time last season after a long-term injury sustained against Oregon in the White Out kept him out for the remainder of the season.

However, in 2024, he was named an All-Big Ten selection after recording 58 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and three interceptions.

The final Nittany Lion on the list is Max Granville.

After a season-ending injury kept the third-year player from a potential breakout sophomore campaign, Granville has flashed this offseason again.

“I feel like my natural movement never really left me,” Granville said. “It was just getting strength back in my lower half, but doing certain moves in the summer, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I still got it, so I’m good.’ And then just building trust, building speed back, it’s only grown and grown coming into camp.”