Penn State commit Tony Rojas ready for playoff run following impressive regular season
Penn State’s Class of 2023 has no shortage of talented players who have put together impressive seasons. Safety DaKaari Nelson has forced eight turnovers in 10 games. Quarterback Jaxon Smolik returned from a collarbone injury and is now closing in on nearly 2,000 yards of total offense, scoring 21 touchdowns.
But if one player has shined the brightest, that may very well be Fairfax, Va., native Tony Rojas. A four-star prospect and top 100 player in the On3 Consensus, Rojas was always expected to put up some impressive stats this season, but he’s also led Fairfax to its best season in over two decades. Currently undefeated at 10-0, the Lions are the top seed in their district with a game against Alexandria City on deck Friday night.
“Obviously, he’s done a lot,” said Fairfax head coach Trey Taylor. “He’s probably had the most impact on offense at running back. He’s been better than he was last year, as far as running the ball goes, and his blocking has improved too. We’ve got a few more weapons out there and he’s done a good job helping those guys.
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“On defense, we play so many different kinds of teams. Robinson is a couple tight ends, wing-t team while Lake Braddock is chucking the ball. So, we’ve stood him up, we’ve played him down. We’ve spied him on quarterbacks. He’s just kind of done whatever we need him to do based on the team we were playing that week.”
Statistically, Rojas has been excellent on both sides of the ball. At running back he’s up to 1,425 yards rushing now, scoring 24 touchdowns. He’s also totaled 250 yards receiving. Defensively Rojas has totaled 53 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Add in 15 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles and two pass breakups and he’s done a little bit of everything.
Taylor added that Rojas has also done it off the field and in the locker room, too.
“I think his leadership has improved from last year. I’ve watched him mature some,” Taylor said. “Defensively, we’re asking a lot more from him this year. It’s been tough for him week-to-week, too, because he’s playing a new spot each week.
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“We’ve asked him to play inside backer at times and handle all the reads that come with that. Then other weeks have put his hand back down in the dirt and had him play the edge. We played him outside backer at times, too, so I think his overall knowledge this year has expanded and allowed us to do some different things.”
Rojas’ recruitment came down to Penn State, Clemson and Georgia. Totaling more than two dozen offers, he had no shortage of interest from top schools, but according to Taylor, coaches haven’t tried to circle back, knowing full well that he’s firmly committed.
“It’s been really quiet. Nobody has tried to call me on the side and asked if he’s locked in or whatever,” Taylor said. “Everybody’s kind of left it alone, so I haven’t heard from anybody asking if he’s wavering. Schools know he’s 100 percent committed to Penn State.”
In addition to earning first-team All-District honors, Rojas was also announced as a unanimous selection for both the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in his district.
