Injuries Limit Availability of Key Penn State Players for Spring Practices

The Penn State Nittany Lions football program begins spring practices on Tuesday and will be without a key trio of players: linebacker Tony Rojas, tight end Andrew Rappleyea, and offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh to start spring practices, head coach James Franklin told the media on Tuesday.

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The trio of players are all recovering from injuries suffered last season.

"I don't want to speak to the length of spring ball, but they will not be fully available at the beginning of spring ball," James Franklin said. "Everyone heals differently and at a difference pace, and how they attack treatment and those kinds of things."

"There's somethings they'll be able to do and there's somethings they won't," he added.

Rojas, who played in all 16 games for Penn State, was recently seen in an arm sling, though the specifics of his injury remain unknown. The Virginia native recorded 58 tackles last season, including six tackles for loss and one sack. He also had three interceptions, highlighted by a pick-six in the Nittany Lions' first-round College Football Playoff game against SMU.

The former high four-star prospect will be a key piece of Penn State’s defense in 2025 and is likely to be their starting weakside linebacker.

Rappleyea and Donkoh both suffered season-ending injuries midway through the 2024 season.

Rappleyea, entering his redshirt sophomore season, sustained a significant knee injury before Penn State’s Week 2 matchup against Bowling Green. He continues to recover, and once healthy, he will compete for playing time at tight end alongside redshirt senior Theo Johnson and sophomore Luke Reynolds.

Donkoh also suffered a knee injury, going down in the first quarter of Penn State’s late November matchup against Minnesota. Before his injury, Donkoh was one of the top underclassman offensive linemen in the country and was a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.

Following his departure, Wisconsin transfer Nolan Rucci stepped in and impressed, arguably emerging as Penn State’s best offensive lineman during their College Football Playoff run. Once cleared to return, Donkoh will compete with Rucci for the starting left tackle spot.