Freshman Linebacker Anthony Speca Brings 'Influential' Personality to Penn State

Speca, a prototypical Penn State linebacker, could play an early role on the Nittany Lions' defense.

A general view of Penn State's Beaver Stadium prior to the Nittany Lions' 2023 game against Iowa. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State's 2024 football recruiting class featured 25 players, nine of whom were 4-star prospects or better, according to the 247Sports Composite, and all signed during what Nittany Lions coach James Franklin called a "drama-free" signing day. The class, ranked 15th in the nation according to 247Sports, also made a strong first impression through the recruiting period, which gets longer and more hectic every year.

Sixteen of those players got a head start during spring drills, with a few making quick impacts and debuting at the Blue-White Game.

"When you're able to get guys on campus earlier, I don't think it's the end-all, be-all but it helps," Franklin said on Signing Day. "I mean, when they are here in the spring, learning the system, getting comfortable, getting a feel, it allows them to be better positioned to legitimately compete in the summer and during training camp. ... Now, I do think we got nine guys coming in the summer that
if they approach it the right way will still be able to compete and we've seen examples of that."

Those nine Nittany Lions arrive in May and June, bringing a host of new skills to Penn State's roster. Who are they? We're introducing the rest of Penn State's 2024 recruiting class in series of stories. So let's meet the new Nittany Lions. Next up: A linebacker from Pittsburgh who was "very influential" at his high school.

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Anthony Speca

• Position: Linebacker

• Height/weight: 6-1/220

• High school: Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Meet Anthony Speca: As the prototypical Penn State linebacker, Specs arrives with plenty of fanfare. He was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, leading the team to four WPIAL championship games and one title. A two-time, first-team all-state linebacker, Speca broke the school record for tackles (326). He made 94 tackles, 17 for loss, as a senior. Speca also made five sacks, broke up 12 passes and blocked two field goals. During his junior season, Speca made 122 tackles. A 3-star prospect, according to 247Sports, Speca was the No. 6 player in Pennsylvania and a top-50 linebacker nationwide. 

Quotable: “Anthony has some natural leadership qualities, especially at the position he plays,” Pittsburgh Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier said. “He’s a strong communicator with a natural leadership personality. He is exceptionally talented and plays sideline-to-sideline. He has great length and athleticism. He made a huge impact on our team as a four-year starter and our all-time leading tackler. He left the place better than he found it and was very influential to our young guys.”

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.