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Previewing the 2025 season for Penn State LB Tony Rojas with his player profile

Previewing the 2025 season for Penn State LB Tony Rojas with his player profile

USA Today09-05-2025
Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player's background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Dominic DeLuca is back in Happy Valley for one final season of college football. The redshirt senior will take advantage of his sixth year of eligibility provided by the NCAA as a result of the 2020 season being impacted by the pandemic. His veteran presence will be good to have as the defense undergoes a transformation on the field with new leadership in place. DeLuca has been a fun story to follow as a walk-on player to a player making plays in the College Football Playoff.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Height: 6-2
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Weight: 227 lb
Class in 2025: Junior
Recruiting Rankings
Class of 2023: Consensus 4-star recruit, no. 10 LB (247Sports)
Tony Rojas was unquestionably one of the top linebackers in the Class of 2023 with a top-10 ranking from each of the major recruiting outlets. On3 and Rivals also ranked Rojas as a top 100 overall player in the nation. Rojas was the no. 2 or no. 3 player in Virginia, depending on which recruiting outlet you choose. Rojas committed to Penn State over Clemson and Virginia Tech a few weeks after an official visit to Georgia.
Career Stats
Games Tackles Sacks INT FF 2023 13 22 0 1 1 2024 16 58 1.0 3 0
Depth Chart Overview
The past couple of seasons have led some to use the term "rising star" when it comes to describing Tony Rojas. It may be time to move on from that and just label Rojas what he is: a star. Rojas has more than lived up to the hype coming out of high school and has asserted himself as one of the top performers and leaders on the Penn State defense. He will anchor one of the starting jobs at the position this fall for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, with veteran Dominic DeLuca the other likely starter.
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