James Franklin: Penn State LB Tony Rojas among Nittany Lions not available to start spring practice

Penn State football kicks off spring practice on Tuesday, a process that will conclude 32 days from now with the annual Blue-White Game. While James Franklin isn’t ready to rule them out for that final spring practice, he confirmed that several Nittany Lions will not be fully available to take the field this week.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Franklin explained that junior linebacker Tony Rojas, as well as redshirt sophomore tight end Andrew Rappleyea and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh, are still recovering from injury.

“Yeah, so 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; everybody kind of heals differently and at a different pace, and how they attack treatment, and those types of things.

“Obviously, our doctors and trainers kind of have basic guidelines about how long certain injuries take to heal and things like that that they go by, but that’s hard to say. But they’re not they’re not completely available to start spring ball. There’s some things they’ll be able to do, and there’s some things that they won’t.”

Looking for a way to stay up-to-date with all the most important news surrounding Penn State football and Nittany Lion athletics? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our free newsletter for live news and insights sent directly to your feed!

Rojas was seen with his arm in a sling throughout much of the winter. Starting all 16 games, Rojas was fifth on the team with 58 tackles in 2024. He also added three interceptions during his sophomore season, including a critical pick-six during the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff win over SMU.

Rappleyea appeared in the season opener against West Virginia before suffering a long-term injury. Donkoh battled through injuries throughout last fall, making 10 starts before missing the remainder of the season following the Nittany Lions’ November 23 win over Minnesota.

Penn State football will take the field for the Blue-White Game on April 26.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on social media.