Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 27 Bobby Walchak
Going into the 2022 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Penn State’s linebacking situation is under a bit of a microscope this season. After losing a pair of starters to the NFL, Penn State looks to rework its linebacker unit. Among the many reserve options on the roster is Bobby Walchak. Here is a snapshot profile of the redshirt freshman.
Preseason Player Profile
Apr 23, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Bobby Walchak (27) intercepts the ball intended for wide receiver Omari Evans (18) during the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Hometown: Pottsville, PA
Ht: 5’11”
Wt: 212 lb
247Sports Composite Ranking
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
[No rating available] [No state ranking] [No position ranking in nation]
Clas in 2021: True freshman
Career Stats
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Walchak did not appear in any games for Penn State last season, thus there are no official stats from his true freshman season in Happy Valley.
Depth Chart Overview
One of Penn State’s biggest offseason questions for the defense is who fills in the linebacker position after losing two starters to the NFL a year early. Curtis Jacobs is a returning starter to fill one of the spots, and Jonathan Sutherland has made a position change this year to move from safety to linebacker.
Apr 23, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Bobby Walchak (27) runs with the ball following an interception during the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
The competition for the other starting job appears to be down to Kobe King and Tyler Elsdon, with both having encouraging spring practices to build on. The depth of the linebackers may be fair to question for Penn State, but top backup options could include Charlie Katshir and Jamari Buddin, and redshirt freshman Dominic DeLuca has the most notable performance in the Blue-White Game.
As for Walchak, he appears to be a deep reserve that may not be in line for much playing time in 2022. Perhaps he could be a special teams contributor as he continues to develop moving forward.
