Penn State adds commitment from top-10 linebacker in 2023 recruiting class
Penn State has added its second commitment of the week to its 2023 recruiting class. Four-star linebacker Tony Rojas announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin on Thursday afternoon.
Rojas joins four-star running back London Montgomery, who committed Monday.
The latest commitment plays for Fairfax High School in Virginia and helped the team to a 9-2 record as a junior. He’s listed at 6-foot-1.5, 200 pounds and also plays running back in high school, carrying the ball for 1,568 rushing yards last season.
Rojas chose Penn State over 24 other scholarship offers, including those from Clemson and Georgia. He’s the No. 8 linebacker in the country, the No. 3 player in Virginia and the No. 107 player overall in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite player rankings.
He’s the fourth-highest rated player in Penn State’s class.
247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn’s scouting report of Rojas on the new commit’s player profile page lists him as a potential NFL draft pick down the road.
“Verified size with plus length and speed with multi-sport profile,” Dohn’s report reads. “Has plenty of room for frame growth and can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Also well-rounded basketball player. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. Verified high 4.6 speed with shuttle in 4.2s, which showcases change of direction and acceleration. Ridiculously productive with 1,700 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns and 40 tackles, including seven sacks.
“Best suited to play inside linebacker but possesses some traits to play outside. Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. Plays with leverage and bends well in lower body. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. Incredibly quick in shooting gaps. Closes well on ball carriers. Shows speed to chase play down on back side. Durable and reliable. Does not quit on plays. Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks.
“Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. Has to develop strength throughout frame, and particularly in upper body. Needs to show he can stack and shed on consistent basis. Will need to develop in weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability to play for Top 10 program.”
Rojas’ commitment elevated the Nittany Lions’ 2023 class up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 in the country according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings. It remains No. 2 in the Big Ten, trailing only Ohio State.
