In a statement, Penn State said its leadership felt current COVID-19 conditions don't require a switch to online learning yet.
"Those guys are doing a great job of really staying true to who they are. I think some of the worst things you can do as a player is try to be something that you're not."
"If you look at the body of work and look at what we've seen from James as it relates to who he is, what his values are, what his fit is for us, how he's developed student athletes -- and oh by the way, we've also won a lot of football games."
"The devil is always in the details."
In December, the Penn State product compiled 12 tackles (three for a loss), four sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection.
While competing for Central Michigan, Hildebrandt became a two-time All-American, a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier, and a two-time MAC champion at 125 pounds.