Who Will Represent Penn State at Big Ten Football Media Days?

The Nittany Lions announce three players for the annual preseason media event.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

Two returning Nittany Lions and one key transfer will represent Penn State in July at Big Ten Football Media Days, the conference's annual kickoff event to the 2026 season. The Big Ten will host three days of media availabilities in Chicago, returning to the city for the first time since the pandemic.

Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas and offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh will appear at Big Ten Media Days along with transfer quarterback Rocco Becht, who joined head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State. Penn State will appear on Day 1 of the event, which will be held at the Hilton Chicago.

Campbell is bringing two of his most trusted returning Nittany Lions to Big Ten Media Days, and it's noteworthy because both missed spring practice. Rojas was out for spring as he continued to recover from a torn ACL last October that sidelined him for the season's final eight games.

Rojas said he will "be back better" for his junior season, encouraged by former Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr., who went through a similar situation during his college career.

“He'd been telling me his mindset and how he feels even better than before, and I'm starting to feel that myself,” Rojas said. “I'm gonna come back stronger, faster. So just being able to have people in my corner, that's been through it has been super helpful.”

Donkoh also missed spring drills while recovering from a lingering undisclosed injury from last season. Donkoh still didn't miss a game during the 2025 season, making 11 starts at right guard. He is returning to right tackle, the position he played in 2024 to earn all-Big Ten honorable mention.

"You want to talk about who's the leader [of the offensive line]? He's the leader," Campbell said of Donkoh. "[He's a] 3.8 student, one of the best players here and has got a chance to be one of the absolute best players in our football program."

The crew for B1G Media Day 🎥 🎬 pic.twitter.com/h2YNcd8Vuj

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) June 24, 2026

Becht is making his second straight appearance at a conference media days, having represented Iowa State at Big 12 Media Days in 2025. Becht will be a fourth-year starter and is one of the most experienced returning quarterbacks in college football. He leads the FBS in returning wins, starts and snaps for a quarterback.

Penn State underwent a roster overhaul this offseason, as Campbell brought in 55 new players, including 40 from the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions signed 24 transfers from Campbell's 2025 roster at Iowa State. The team also brought in transfers from 16 other schools at multiple levels of college football.

Penn State's contingent will appear at Big Ten Football Media Days on July 28. Here's the complete three-day schedule of teams:

July 28: Penn State, Illinois, Iowa, Rutgers, USC, Wisconsin

July 29: Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA

July 30: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington

The Big Ten has released the full list of players scheduled to appear at Big Ten Football Media Days.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass during practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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