Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
RETURNING STARTER Tony Rojas | R-Jr. Rojas played through an injury for much of the 2024 season, had offseason surgery to correct it, and began the 2025 campaign by consistently showing im- provement. That effort was undone by a season-ending injury sustained in prac- tice prior to the UCLA game. He finished with 25 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 2 sacks. Announcing his return to the team on New Year's Day, Rojas will be a key part of Penn State's defense in 2026. OTHER RETURNEES LaVar Arrington II | So. Arrington earned playing time late in the year exclusively on special teams, logging 41 snaps in seven games. Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, he generated some buzz as a Developmen- tal Squad Defensive Player of the Week along the way. Cam Smith | R-Fr. Keeping his redshirt, Smith flashed during in-season Sunday scrimmages last fall and was among the January re- tention wins for Matt Campbell. He was a four-star prospect in the class of 2025 and the No. 356 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Alex Tatsch | So. Tatsch had a shoulder injury that re- quired surgery in his senior season of high school but emerged to become one of Penn State's bright spots defensively late in the year. He earned 108 snaps in six games before suffering an injury dur- ing the Nittany Lions' Pinstripe Bowl preparations that is expected to keep him sidelined this spring and beyond. NEWCOMERS Caleb Bacon | R-Sr. Bacon started all 12 games for Iowa State last season, totaling 68 tackles and a team-high 3 sacks. He has one more year of eligibility, which he'll use at Penn State this fall. Cael Brezina | Jr. Called into action following an injury to starter Will McLaughlin, Brezina surged for Iowa State late last season, producing his three successive best-graded perfor- mances according to Pro Football Focus. He topped out with a grade of 81.6 for his performance at Oklahoma State. Kooper Ebel | Sr. Ebel finished second in snaps on Iowa State's defense last year, totaling 664 to safety Marcus Neal Jr.'s 697. He led the Cyclones with 77 tackles, including 8 for loss, and had 5 quarterback hurries, 3 pass breakups and a sack. Chris Fileppo | So. Fileppo was a late addition to Penn State's transfer portal haul, and an inter- esting one at that. He played 104 defen- sive snaps at West Virginia last season, mostly at safety but also at linebacker, where the 6-foot-4, 208-pounder is ex- pected to play for the Lions in 2026. Keian Kaiser | Fr. Kaiser flipped from Iowa State to Penn State after Campbell left to become the Lions' new head coach. Listed by Rivals as the No. 156 linebacker nationally and No. 17 prospect in Nebraska, Kaiser finished with 352 tackles in four varsity seasons at Sidney High. John Klosterman | R-Sr. A former walk-on at Iowa State, Klos- terman has one year of eligibility remain- ing, and possibly a second should he apply for and receive a medical redshirt after missing the entire 2024 season. Last year, he saw action in seven games, producing 5 tackles and a quarterback hurry. 3 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 2026 LOOK AHEAD LINEBACKER Iowa State Foursome Gives LBU An Immediate Lift 2026 Outlook The linebacker position was always going to look a little different heading into the 2026 season, with four-year contributor Dominic DeLuca having exhausted his eligibility. But the tandem of Tony Rojas and Amare Campbell had another year to play, and the coaches were encouraged by the progress they'd seen from Keon Wylie and some younger players. But last season didn't go as planned, and the fallout is ongoing. Rojas was lost for the year in September with a leg injury that is expected to keep him out this spring. Campbell transferred to Tennessee in January, while Wylie headed to Virginia Tech and Anthony Speca to Purdue. Despite those losses, the Lions will get a real dose of consistency at linebacker — all cour- tesy of Iowa State. Kooper Ebel and Caleb Bacon each started 12 games last season, finishing second and third on the Cyclones in defensive snaps with 664 and 652, respectively. Matt Campbell described Ebel as one of the best defensive players in the Big 12. Meanwhile, Cael Brezina produced 29 tackles and a forced fumble over 328 snaps. Joined by Rojas — who will be about 10 months removed from his injury when Penn State opens preseason camp in August — PSU's rebuilt linebacker corps will have no shortage of experi- ence at the top of the lineup. Behind it, there is less certainty, but Alex Tatsch produced a strong finish to his true fresh- man season until sidelined by a long-term injury during bowl prep, and his first-year class- mates — LaVar Arrington II and Cam Smith — are both set to return. — Nate Bauer Tony Rojas was off to a strong start last year with 25 tack- les through four games, but he suffered a season-ending injury prior to Penn State's visit to UCLA in early October. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT