Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
4 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / at Virginia Tech. All of a sudden, both players had a lot to think about. Penn State head coach James Frank- lin moved quickly to hire Manny Diaz as Pry's successor, but the change in defen- sive leadership forced Rojas to start the relationship process all over again. "I didn't really know Coach Diaz. I had heard of the name because of his time at Miami, but that was really it," Rojas said. "Me and Ta'Mere came really close to committing to Penn State when Pry was there because we loved him. "After that, we both had to re- ally get a relationship going with Coach Diaz. It took a little bit, but once we were talking more and more and I saw him during visits, I grew to really like him. We knew the defense would look how it does now. It was really all about trust and just getting to know him." Last April, Rojas announced a top four of Penn State, Clemson, Georgia and Mi- ami. The Hurricanes and Tigers fought hard throughout the summer to stay in the mix, but Georgia and Penn State were Rojas' top schools. The week before his official visit to PSU, he took a second unofficial visit to Georgia. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and his staff had planned on bringing Rojas back to campus two weeks later for an official visit just before the start of the summer dead period. The goal was to sandwich his Penn State official visit, which was June 17-19, with two trips to Athens. Franklin and his staff had other plans, however. With nearly the entire 2023 class on campus that weekend, includ- ing Robinson, Rojas ended up privately committing to Penn State before leaving campus. He didn't announce his deci- sion publicly until a month later, on July 14, but it was that weekend that sealed the deal. "I really liked Georgia leading into my official going to Penn State," Rojas said. "At the time, it was probably 60-40 Penn State. After my visit, though, I knew it was Penn State. It felt like home before, but after being with the recruits, staying overnight, plus being with the coaches that weekend, my relationship with them just grew so much. It just felt right. I knew if I would have gone back down to Geor- gia, it would've had my head going places. So, I just ended it then." More than anything, Rojas was seek- ing a family atmosphere, and he found it with the Nittany Lions. "In the end, family is everything to me," he said. "Penn State showed that on my visits. It wasn't just once, either, but on all my visits. They also texted my parents, my grandparents. They were consistent from the start. It just felt like home." In the months that followed, Rojas piled up awards, includ- ing Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year honors. He was the only Penn State commit to earn that award in his home state this year. A two-way star for Fairfax, Rojas ran for 2,239 yards and 35 touchdowns while also amassing 72 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, and had 5 forced fumbles. He even was named All-Met Offensive Player of the Year by The Washington Post in December. Now on campus, Rojas will have to add weight before he can handle the rigors of the Big Ten, but don't be sur- prised if he's contributing in some man- ner this coming season. "I'm enrolling early because I want to make an impact," Rojas said. "However they need me, I'll be ready." ■ LB | 6-2 | 195 Fairfax High Fairfax, Va. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHHH 92 8 2 On3 HHHH 86 8 3 ESPN HHHH 130 13 3 Rivals HHHH 96 3 2 247Sports HHHH 121 10 3 Statistics • Rushed for 2,239 yards and 35 touchdowns while also totaling 281 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns his senior year • Totaled 72 tackles, including 14 for loss and 13 sacks, and had 5 forced fumbles as a senior • Finished his junior season with 40 tackles including 7 for loss, and added 4 sacks • Rushed for 1,568 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior Notable • Was a two-time team captain • Named the Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year as a senior • Claimed All-Met Offensive Player of the Year honors from The Washington Post • Invited to the All-American Bowl Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on July 14, 2022 • Recruited by running backs coach Ja'Juan Se- ider and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz • Picked Penn State over Georgia, Clemson and Miami • Officially visited June 17-19, 2022 • Enrolled in January 2023 2023 Projection Rojas needs to add weight, but the 195-pound prospect is already on campus and training with the team. His explosiveness and overall athleti- cism should help him get on the field in some capacity in 2023. They Said It Trey Taylor, Fairfax head coach: "He dem- onstrated to younger players what is possible through hard work. Tony has amazing athletic ability, but it was his ability to inspire other play- ers to be their best that was most impactful. He has had a tremendous impact on not only our program, but the younger players who have seen firsthand the work that goes into being great." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Rojas proj- ects as a Will linebacker with his background at defensive end. He can use those pass-rushing skills to get after the quarterback and his run-de- fense skills to disengage from blockers. There's so much to like about Rojas's game, and Penn State fans should be thrilled that the Nittany Lions added such a great player to the class of 2023." T H E R O J A S F I L E "In the end, family is everything to me. Penn State showed that on my visits. It wasn't just once, either, but on all my visits. They also texted my parents, my grandparents. They were consistent from the start. It just felt like home." R O J A S