With 40 days until Penn State’s season opener against Nevada, we’re highlighting redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Speca.
Speca is a Pennsylvania native and heads into his second season with a bit of momentum. Due to Kari Jackson’s lingering injuries last year, Speca got all of the reserve snaps among freshmen linebackers. He appeared in six games in 2024 — including the Big Ten Championship and the SMU playoff game — and contributed eight tackles.
After a solid spring, Speca is expected to be high on the depth chart in Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 scheme in 2025, although he now has to compete with UNC transfer Amare Campbell.