Penn State's Dom DeLuca Has a Great College Football Story. His Might Be the Last

DeLuca went from walk-on to captain with the Nittany Lions. 'You can't help but love Dom,' Penn State DC Tom Allen said.

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Dominic DeLuca reacts following an interception during the second quarter against the SMU Mustangs in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Beaver Stadium was waiting for a spark. More than eight minutes into Penn State’s first College Football Playoff game, the Nittany Lions had yet to find their rhythm vs. SMU — even with a crowd of 106,000 behind their backs. Then, Dom DeLuca delivered.

Jumping on a short-range pass from Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings, DeLuca intercepted the throw and sprinted 23 yards to score the first playoff touchdown in Penn State football history. DeLuca later ended an SMU scoring threat with a second-quarter interception, prompting Penn State coach James Franklin to call DeLuca a “baller” after the Nittany Lions’ 38-10 win over the Mustangs.

“You can't help but love Dom,” Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen said.

The hero of Penn State’s first playoff win didn’t take a conventional path to the spotlight. A quarterback-turned-linebacker, walk-on-turned-captain, DeLuca is a key contributor for a national championship contender. His story feels almost cinematic, but changing NCAA rules could make it one college football never sees again.

College football's changing landscape

Dom DeLuca’s story began at Wyoming Area High in northeast Pennsylvania, where he led the Warriors to a PIAA title in 2019 while playing with a torn ACL. He walked on at Penn State in 2021, spent two seasons as a role player on defense and special teams and in 2022 earned the program’s “outstanding run-on” award. In January 2023, DeLuca was mobbed by teammates after Franklin announced he would be on scholarship. The moment rewarded DeLuca for his hard work but also was a decision that paid dividends for Penn State. DeLuca, a special teams captain, has started five games at linebacker this season, making 33 tackles and three interceptions.

In case you didn’t hear... Dom DeLuca is now on scholarship 🥹🙌 #WeAre | @Dominic_DeLuca9 pic.twitter.com/YKGeKZ2sTy

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 7, 2023

Yet, stories like DeLuca’s might disappear from college football in 2025. Proposed NCAA rules changes will cap FBS rosters at 105 players, all of whom will be on scholarship. Previously, scholarships were capped at 85, allowing programs to fill out larger rosters with walk-ons, who DeLuca called the "backbone of college football." 

“There's a ton of changes in college football, but this is one of these that I'm struggling with because there's been so many special stories over the years of walk-ons. Whether they've earned a scholarship or not, they've been just such a significant part of the game and our history,” Franklin said after Saturday’s game. “It breaks my heart a little bit that maybe Dom isn't here if these rules were in place."

Allen loves to talk about DeLuca’s unlikely path to Penn State, feeling that he can relate as a “walk-on in the coaching profession.”

“I'm living my dream as well as a college football coach in the Big Ten,” Allen said. “... I had to come work my way up through the high school ranks, and then the small college ranks. I didn't go right into the Division I level. It took a long time to get here. He had to earn it the hard way as well. He had to come here as a walk-on. To see him make the kind of plays he made last week on the national stage in front of the whole world to watch was so awesome.” 

‘Dom does everything right’

DeLuca’s performance vs. SMU prompted testimonials from teammates about his commitment to Penn State. Defensive end Abdul Carter said “Dom does everything right.” Safety Jaylen Reed said DeLuca consistently does his job at “a high level.” Defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas called the linebacker “a Penn Stater, truly from his core outwardly.”

“He always has a smile on his face, he's appreciative, he works his tail off, trusted us when we talked about the positions that we wanted to play him, and whatever role we've asked him to do, he's done it 100 miles an hour,” Franklin said. “Everybody's journey's different, everybody's race is different. You've got to run your race and maximize the opportunities that you get. I think he's a great example of that.”

After Penn State’s win over SMU, DeLuca hesitated to say whether he had thought about how special his journey has been: winning the Pennsylvania Player of the Year award as a high school quarterback, playing the state-championship game with a torn ACL, walking on with the Nittany Lions and becoming an impact linebacker and captain. Instead, he focused on his “brothers.”

“Being able to come out with a win in the first week of playoffs is huge. I'm excited to celebrate with my brothers,” DeLuca said. “Growing up a quarterback, just being able to read defenses was a huge part for me. Now being on the defensive side is helping me play better in being able to read quarterbacks better.”

Meeting the moment

DeLuca will continue to be an important piece for Penn State’s defense when it meets Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos’ offense revolves around running back Ashton Jeanty, who has gained 75.6 percent of his yards this season after contact. Effectively wrapping up Jeanty will rank high on Penn State’s priority list on New Year’s Eve.   

“As long as everyone gets to the football, I think we'll have a great game,” DeLuca said Friday. “It doesn't matter what game and who we're playing, just being able to keep [our] feet on contact, wrap up, and run through whoever is running the ball. That's going to be huge for us.”

DeLuca, who has another year of eligibility, is a reminder of the unique paths that players take to prominence in college football. His teammates and coaches know he’ll continue to play to win, displaying the focus and drive that’s led the linebacker on his improbable route. But with roster changes coming, there may no longer be any DeLuca-like figures across college football.

“Walk-ons are the backbone of college football, I would say. You wouldn't be able to have practice squads or even get some looks each week because it's so hard to have that many guys on the team at once,” DeLuca said. “They're not just here to play football, they're here to live out their dream and be a part of the culture of Penn State football or whatever respective team they're on. Just being able to do that, it's a huge honor for us.”

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.