Penn State’s Linebacker Race Heats Up: Rojas and Campbell Shock Coaches with Unexpected Skills

It’s unclear how Knowles plans to use Campbell. He often uses a 4-2-5 alignment, and Wyoming Area product Dominic DeLuca and Rojas are returning starters at linebacker.

The Lions finished 96th nationally in punt returns with an anemic 5.91 average. Wide receivers Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross returned punts last season, Pena at Syracuse and Ross at Troy.STATE COLLEGE – Two linebackers who did not participate in Penn State’s spring football practice already have drawn praise from new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at the start of fall camp.
Amare Campbell, who transferred from North Carolina after spring practice, also looked very good in the first two practices,” Knowles said. Campbell had 76 tackles last season for the Tar Heels, including 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
The Lions ranked 46th nationally in kickoff returns last year with a 21.2 average. Lustig said Nick Singleton will return kickoffs for a fourth season if he and the other coaches feel like there’s potential for him to break a long one.
Young running backs Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith will handle the kickoff returns otherwise.
“I think this is going to go right down to the wire. If there’s a gap, there’s a gap. But if it’s close. I think the competition could go throughout the year.”
“He’s able to perform within the scheme. He kind of jumped out the first two days of practice.”
“I’ve been very impressed,” Knowles said Saturday during Media Day. “He seems to have developed physically in the offseason. Not only that, but he’s picked things up, which is not easy to do. His knowledge of the defense has been impressive.
Pena returned 15 punts for 120 yards and Ross had nine returns for 153 yards and a TD against Iowa. Zion Tracy was the primary returner last season for Penn State and averaged just 5.8 yards.
Smolik played in one game as a freshman in 2023 before being injured early last season.
Backup competition: Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer will compete to be Penn State’s No. 2 quarterback behind Drew Allar during preseason camp.
Tony Rojas underwent upper-body surgery after starting every game last season and missed spring practice.
Originally Published: August 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM EDT
“Those are game-week and game-planning decisions,” Lustig said. “If we feel like we can really take advantage of a weakness, I can see Nick back there. But we’re certainly confident in Quinton Martin and Corey Smith.”
“In two days I saw a lot of natural linebacker skills in him,” Knowles said. “You don’t see that as much in this day and age of college football because linebackers are converted from other positions.
Keon Wylie and Anthony Speca also are expected to be in the mix there.
Grunkemeyer was the third-team quarterback as a freshman last season behind Allar and Beau Pribula, who transferred to Missouri. He played in one game, completing 1-of-2 passes against SMU.
“There’s a skill in playing linebacker that’s innate and instinctual. He has it. We’re LBU (Linebacker U.), so we’ve had a lot of great ones here.”
“That was really tightly contested in the spring,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “I thought Jaxon would be rusty coming back, but he wasn’t. He had a great spring.
STATE COLLEGE — Fall camp is kicking off with some real buzz around Penn State’s linebacker room, despite two key players sitting out spring drills. Tony Rojas, fresh off upper-body surgery but a starter in every game last year, caught the eye of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles right from the get-go. Knowles isn’t shy about his praise, highlighting not just Rojas’s physical improvements but also his sharp grasp of the defensive playbook — no small feat after some time away from the field. Then there’s Amare Campbell, a transfer from North Carolina who’s already showing flashes of the natural instincts linebacker U prides itself on, even after just a couple of practices. With veterans like Dominic DeLuca and fresh talent such as Keon Wylie and Anthony Speca in the mix, the linebacker unit’s shape-up promises to be exciting. Meanwhile, behind center, a tight tussle is unfolding for the No. 2 quarterback spot between Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer, adding another layer of intrigue to the preseason. On special teams, improvements are on the horizon too, as coordinator Justin Lustig hints at a deeper, more productive return game – a zone that struggled last season but might just shine this time around. This opening of fall camp is setting up to be a compelling chapter for the Nittany Lions — a blend of resilience, fresh talent, and strategic reshuffling that could redefine their season. LEARN MORE
“We’ve got a lot of answers right now,” Lustig said. “It’s a really good problem to have. We have a deep room there. It’s a deep position that’s going to show a lot of improvement.”

Return game: Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig said Saturday he expects Penn State’s return game to be more productive than it was last season.