As Penn State begins spring practice on Tuesday, three key playmakers will likely be sidelined.
Tony Rojas, who started all 16 games at linebacker this past season, offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh and tight end Andrew Rappleyea will all be limited for at least the early portion of spring ball, James Franklin told reporters on Tuesday.
“I don’t want to speak in terms of the length of spring ball because I don’t know exactly how that will play out,” Franklin said, “but they will not be fully available in the beginning of spring ball and we’ll just see how that goes. It’s hard to say. … There’s some things they’ll be able to do, and there’s some things that they won’t.”
Rojas played through a lingering injury throughout the Nittany Lions’ 2024-25, which concluded in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Notre Dame. Despite not being fully healthy, Rojas flashed in the postseason, combining for 12 tackles across three playoff games and cashing in a pick-six against SMU in the first round.
With last year’s starting middle linebacker Kobe King headed to the NFL, Franklin said Penn State will “probably” base out of a 4-2-5 front in the first year under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. That could expand Rojas’ role even further, both as a playmaker and a key communicator in the middle of the defense.
“Obviously, I had some stuff going on, but I got it fixed, and I’m looking forward to this season,” said Rojas, who was seen with a sling around his right arm at a Penn State men’s basketball game in January. “… I’ll be good for the season. That’s all that matters.”
Donkoh broke onto the scene as a budding star throughout 10 starts at right tackle this past season, but his year came to end after injuring his right knee in the first quarter against Minnesota on Nov. 23. Donkoh was replaced at right tackle by Nolan Rucci for the remainder of the season. But if healthy by the fall, Donkoh could again compete with Rucci for a starting role.
Rappleyea made his first career start in the Nittany Lions’ season-opening victory at West Virginia, but sustained a season-ending injury in the week of practice that followed it. Tyler Warren’s starting tight end position is up for grabs, and Rappleyea could compete with Luke Reynolds and Khalil Dinkins for the job if he recovers quickly.
Regardless, it does not appear Rojas, Donkoh and Rappleyea will be full participants in the first of Penn State’s 15 spring practices. The local media will catch a glimpse of practice on Tuesday, and should keep a lookout for how much work, if any, the trio is doing on turf.
“Obviously, our doctors and trainers kind of have basic guidelines about how long certain injuries take to heal, things like that that they go by,” Franklin said. “That’s hard to say, but they’re not completely available to start spring ball.”
