Linebacker Anthony Speca is officially entering the transfer portal after two seasons at Penn State, and he’ll do so with three years of eligibility still on the table. The former in-state standout is looking for a fresh start after limited playing time in Happy Valley.
Speca logged just 47 defensive snaps this season, with nearly all of them-45, to be exact-coming in the Nittany Lions’ early non-conference slate against Nevada, Florida International, and Villanova. He saw the field just twice more the rest of the year, both snaps coming in Penn State’s Big Ten opener against Oregon.
That lack of usage raised some eyebrows, especially after Penn State lost rising star linebacker Tony Rojas to a season-ending injury. With Rojas sidelined, the linebacker unit struggled at times, most notably in the matchup against UCLA.
That’s when Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava gashed the defense on the ground, racking up 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. In a game where Penn State needed answers at linebacker, Speca remained on the sideline.
It’s a surprising turn considering Speca’s pedigree. The Pittsburgh Central Catholic product was one of the top defensive players in Western Pennsylvania during his high school career.
He helped lead the Vikings to the WPIAL championship game in all four of his seasons, winning the title as a freshman in 2020. By the time he graduated, he was Central Catholic’s all-time leading tackler with 326 career stops.
Speca’s senior year numbers jump off the page: 94 tackles, five sacks, 17 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and two blocked field goals. He was a three-time all-conference selection and earned first-team honors in his final season. He committed to Penn State in January 2023, joining a strong Class of 2024 that included his high school teammate, wide receiver Peter Gonzalez.
Back when he committed, Speca spoke highly of the program, saying, “I chose Penn State because it has everything I’m looking for. 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.”
Now, he’s looking for a new home-one that might offer more opportunity on the field. He enters the portal as part of a growing list of Nittany Lions seeking new destinations. With Speca’s departure, Penn State now has 17 players planning to transfer out of the program.
Speca is represented by Leverage Football, and with his high school résumé and remaining eligibility, he figures to draw interest from programs looking to bolster their linebacker depth with a young, battle-tested talent.