Penn State run-on Dom Deluca awarded scholarship

Linebacker Dom Deluca took the long way to Penn State, but just two years into his Nittany Lions career it has paid off. BWI confirmed on Tuesday that the redshirt freshman has been placed on scholarship moving forward. Deluca played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions this fall and was an integral part of both the defense and special teams units. The West Pittston, Pa., native finished 2022 with 29 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. 

“Dom’s been awesome,” Special teams coordinator Stacy Collins said in December. “If you look at what he’s done, just consistently, I don’t think a lot of people have gotten a chance to see it. He’s been elite running down on our kickoff units. I mean elite. [On] the opening kickoff of Michigan State he splits a double and makes a tackle inside the 20. 

“A workmanlike dude. I get the opportunity to be in the room with him, but I can’t say enough good things about Dom Deluca. He certainly fits into that role with [Tyler Warren] as leaders of the team, and I would add Malick Meiga to that as well. You look at the amount of reps that they’ve played on special teams and the production that he’s played, especially from our coverage unit standpoint. He’s blocked a punt for us this year and it’s been great.”

Deluca’s journey to Penn State

Deluca arrived at Penn State as a walk-on in January of 2021. Originally a Class of 2020 prospect, he sat out that fall while rehabbing a torn ACL that occurred in the 2019 Class 3A state finals. In that game, Deluca led Wyoming Area to a comeback win over Central Valley despite the injury taking place in the third quarter. He missed just one play and returned to guide his team to 21 fourth-quarter points capped by a 1-yard touchdown run with under a minute to play. 

He was the Class 3A state Player of the Year as a senior quarterback and safety. Deluca played in three games on special teams as a true freshman, earning one of the program’s Scout Team Player of the Year honors. He did so while learning a new position.

“It was a big change moving me from safety to linebacker. I had to learn all that. I was ready for it, though, I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later,” Deluca said last spring. “So I just put my head down and worked, asked a lot of questions. Moving from safety to linebacker, it’s learning reading gaps, reading linemen, just being closer to the box, closer to the big guys up front. So it’s a change.”

Deluca won Penn State’s Outstanding Run-On award in 2022

Deluca had two interceptions in the Blue-White Game last spring and earned a backup role at the Sam linebacker position. He was also one of the Nittany Lions’  top special teams players and shared the program’s Outstanding Run-On Award in 2022 with running back Tank Smith. 

He had two tackles in the Rose Bowl win over Utah and his top performance came against Minnesota in October. In that game, he blocked a punt and made a third down stop in the Red Zone in the fourth quarter.

“To see a guy like Dom Deluca, who’s really kind of paid his dues and worked really hard, a guy who missed basically his freshman year after winning a state championship with an injury and [he’s] done everything right since he got into the program. To see him make that type of play was awesome,” head coach James Franklin said after the game. 

Big goals ahead for Deluca

Now a scholarship player and likely special teams captain, Deluca will continue chasing his dream to get to the next level. 

“A lot of walk-ons come through Penn State and did well. They make a huge impact. And some even eventually made it to the league,” DeLuca said in the spring. “So I’m just gonna follow the process, trust them, do what they tell them what to do, and hopefully that leads to success.”