An in-state linebacker who spent two seasons at Penn State is now entering the transfer portal.
Steve Wiltfong of Rivals.com reported Wednesday night that Anthony Speca plans on entering the portal.
Speca played 47 snaps for Penn State this season, with 45 of those coming in the teams first three games against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova.
The other two came in the team’s Big Ten opener against Oregon.
With Penn State losing key linebacker Tony Rojas to a season-ending injury, people wondered why young linebackers such as Speca weren’t getting more playing time. The linebacking corps struggled at times without Rojas, especially against UCLA, when QB Nico Iamaleava ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Speca had a successful career at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, where he teamed with fellow Penn State Class of 2024 signee Peter Gonzalez. The Vikings went to the WPIAL championship game in each of Speca’s four seasons, winning the title in his freshman season of 2020. Speca was an all-conference performer in three of his four seasons, earning first-team honors as a senior. That season, he finished with a team-high 94 tackles, also contributing five sacks, 17 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, a fumble recovery and two blocked field goals. By the time he finished his career, he was Central’s all-time leading tackler, ending with 326. He committed to Penn State in January 2023.
“I chose Penn State because it has everything I’m looking for,” Speca told 247Sports after his commitment. “It’s got the academics, the staff, the culture, the players and it’s all in state. It felt right when I was there. It felt like home.”
Penn State now has 17 players who plan to enter the transfer portal.
