Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Alex Tatsch didn't see his injury quite the way the reporter did. Tatsch tore his ACL while preparing for the Pinstripe Bowl last December. When a reporter called that the "worst possible timing" because of the long recovery, Tatsch disagreed. The alternatives, he said, could have been worse. What if the then-freshman linebacker had torn his ACL last August, before he could play a college game? Or what if he had made it through the 2025 season only to get hurt during spring practice in April? An earlier injury could have cost Tatsch his freshman experience. A later one could have delayed his return this fall. Before he got hurt, he had earned playing time while Penn State dealt with a shortage of line- backers. He believed that experience would help him when he returned. "I didn't really think of it as the worst timing," Tatsch said prior to the start of the 2026 campaign. "Just being able to get some experience last year has helped me tremendously mentally. And I think just my game in general will be a lot better from this year to last year. "Mentally, it sucks. It's draining. I've been through an injury before. It's not the ideal thing to do. … But you've just got to stay locked in mentally." Tatsch followed fellow linebacker Tony Rojas' recovery while working through his own. Rojas was injured in practice last Sep- tember and missed the last nine games of the season. He went through his own rehab process and was back on the field in Penn State's 2026 opener, making a team-high 7 tackles against Marshall. Tatsch found inspi- ration in Rojas' diligent efforts to get back on the field. Still, his recovery included moments of frustration. Tatsch struggled to bend his knee fully and had to get comfortable with how his body moved again. It wasn't until preseason camp, after eight months of rehabilitation, that he was close to a return. Tatsch, who made 14 tackles in six games as a true freshman, did not see action against Marshall. His return came the following week when he played 23 snaps at Temple and finished with 2 tackles. His rehab now complete, Tatsch faces another question: What kind of player can he become? His first season gave him more confidence. And in the months that followed, he learned from senior Iowa State transfers Caleb Bacon and Kooper Ebel, both on the field and in how they eat, sleep and prepare. He has also studied D'Anton Lynn's new defense with help from assistant linebackers coach Dan Connor, who can explain the new terminology in terms Tatsch learned last season. "Just being in college football for a year has made it a lot easier. And just having Coach Connor here, putting in our new terms into our old terms and helping me visualize it from his perspective, too, is easier for me," Tatsch said. "The way Coach Lynn has it set up, we're going to play fast and we're going to play downhill. I think the way he has it schemed up is just going to suit us correctly." During preseason camp, Tatsch was still waiting to learn what his role would be. He was eager to find out what he could do. "I'm just confident. Just being confident and playing fast [is impor- tant]," he said. "I don't know what the best version of me is yet. I'm developing still, but I think I'm a versatile player, and I'll show that for sure." — Nate Bauer Alex Tatsch Relishes His Return To The Field Tatsch made 14 tackles in six games as a freshman last fall. After missing the Pinstripe Bowl with an injury, the line- backer spent the offseason working toward his return. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL