Penn State lands athletic 4-star linebacker Tony Rojas

Clemson competed for Tony Rojas. Georgia made a run in the first half of June. Miami tried to hang around. Penn State was just too much for any of those schools to overcome.

James Franklin and the staff in Happy Valley offered the No. 109 prospect in the On3 Consensus late last summer. The four-star linebacker out of Fairfax (Va.) attended a couple of games at Penn State in the fall, he was back for a Junior Day early in 2022, and the relationships he built were key in his decision.

“The relationship I have with the coaches is just great from a player-coach perspective,” Rojas told On3. “It is about family at Penn State. I know most of the coaches there, I am comfortable with them, and that has always been important to me.”

Rojas’ head coach, Trey Taylor, agrees.

“Tony has always been a relationship guy,” Taylor said. “He is a quiet, humble kid, and it was not about the glitz and glamour for him. NIL was not a factor, but it was all about relationships with coaches and places he feels at home. … That was a big part of him. We preach family at our program, and he felt that at Penn State.”

Rojas is about athleticism, versatility, and upside

Rojas is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker. Coach Taylor called him a “4.4 40 guy.” He is going to be fun to watch in the Nittany Lion defense.

“Tony is fast,” Taylor said. “That is his style of play. When he did all the camps and combines, I think that is what got everyone’s attention. At his size, he can move, he can change direction well, and he always plays fast.”

Rojas will stand up as an EDGE defender for Taylor this season. He used to play running back too. Taylor feels that experience on offense will help at Penn State.

“What helps him as a linebacker is his background at running back. You are doing the same job, it is just on the defensive side of the ball. At linebacker, he finds the holes quickly, he identifies the running back, and he gets to him fast.

Speed will be his biggest asset at the beginning of his college career. He will have to get bigger and stronger, but that will come. Coming out of the box, his speed and quickness will shine, but he still has a lot of room to grow.

“Tony is not just a pass guy or a run guy. He is a big athlete that can run. He is versatile and he is only going to get better when he gets to the next level.

… His ceiling is still a ways off. Tony has a lot of room to grow and he is only going to get better.”