Penn State’s Defense Hit With Another Big Injury

October 14, 2026

Penn State’s defense suffered another setback as sophomore linebacker Alex Tatsch was ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury during practice last week. Tatsch, who had appeared in four games this season with 81 snaps, recorded 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.

As a true freshman, he made 14 tackles and one tackle for loss in six games. His absence leaves the Nittany Lions’ linebacker rotation even thinner, with only four players now available for the remaining games.

The team has already been playing with a skeleton crew, and Tatsch’s injury further complicates an already depleted defense, which already lost defensive end Max Granville for the season after a practice injury in Week 2. Penn State’s linebackers Tony Rojas (team leader with 43 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions), Kooper Ebel (33 tackles, one sack, but eight missed tackles), and Cael Brezina (22 tackles) will now carry heavier responsibilities.

Backup linebacker Cam Smith, a redshirt freshman, is expected to return soon after missing most of the season due to injury, while LaVar Arrington II is trending toward a return after the bye week. Head coach Matt Campbell emphasized the need for depth, noting that the linebacker room is now down to five players, with redshirt senior John Klosterman and West Virginia transfer Chris Fileppo among the backups.