Which Penn State true freshman will we see first on Saturday against West Virginia?

Saturday night, we get our first look at the 2023 Penn State football team when the Nittany Lions open the season at home against West Virginia. In addition to watching the returning stars from last year’s Rose Bowl-winning roster, the primetime matchup is also our real first opportunity to see many of the new faces to the Nittany Lion program. Yesterday, James Franklin announced that four Penn State true freshmen – LB Tony Rojas, S King Mack, CB Zion Tracy, and CB Elliot Washington II – have all been given the “green light” to burn their redshirts this season.

By all accounts, these four Nittany Lions have been living up to expectations early. As a result, they will have an opportunity to make an impact on the field this fall. But which Penn State true freshman will we see on the field first in Saturday’s matchup against the Mountaineers?

Tony Rojas, King Mack, Zion Tracy, and Elliot Washington II given the “green light” by James Franklin

Last week, James Frankin noted during media availability that the program had determined which true freshmen had been cleared to burn their redshirts (“green light”), which are under consideration to burn their redshirts (“yellow light”), and which will most likely redshirt (“red light”) this fall. However, Franklin didn’t announce names at that time.

That changed yesterday when Franklin announced four true freshmen, Tony Rojas, King Mack, Zion Tracy, and Elliot Washington II, had been given the “green light” for this fall. Franklin indicated that special teams will play a critical role when asked how these four will factor into the depth chart.

“These guys have shown that they’re the closest not just to play on defense but also have significant roles on special teams,” Franklin stated. “I think that’s one of the big things out there for recruits and players, whether it’s in college or even in the NFL.

There’s so much value in that in terms of, okay, here’s a guy that’s in the two-deep on special teams, and here’s a guy in the three-deep on offense or defense. He’s going to play enough that it makes sense to green light him and go from game one. He’s going to get enough reps between the combination of his offensive responsibility and his special teams responsibility or his defensive responsibility and special teams that everybody is comfortable with it. The coaches are comfortable with it. The players are comfortable with it. It makes sense.”

Which Penn State true freshman will play first on Saturday?

While these four – and many other – true freshmen will likely see the field on Saturday, which newcomer will be the first to play against West Virginia? For me, you can’t go wrong with either Tony Rojas or King Mack.

Rojas and Mack have been pegged as potential true freshmen playmakers since signing with the class of 2023. Both have been talked about all offseason long, so it’s not shocking to see either get the green light from Penn State.

Like most others, I’m very high on Tony Rojas this season (see below), but the playmaking ability of King Mack puts him at the top of my list here. Mack has legit speed. As a junior, he won the Florida class 3A 400-meter dash with a time of 46.68 seconds. I could see Penn State letting that speed loose on special teams early.

Which true freshman will make the biggest impact on Penn State football this season?

Over the course of the season, this is where I could see Tony Rojas flashing. Rojas made waves this spring and was a standout performer during the Blue-White Game.

The Rojas hype train continued to chug along during fall camp, as the Penn State true freshman was one of two Nittany Lion defenders to earn the title of “Takeaway King.” Abdul Carter, who also burst onto the scene as a true freshman LB last fall, spoke highly of Rojas’s potential.

“He’s had a good camp,” Carter said of Rojas after practice last week. “He’s another one of those guys who plays with a chip on his shoulder. As a young guy, he’s trying to come in and play this year, which I think he will. He’s gonna be good for us, too.”

But as with Carter’s ascension, it’s important to note that trajectories can change throughout the season. By the time Penn State football gets to game four or five, we should have a solid idea of which true freshmen will make the most significant impact in 2023.

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