Tag: Anthony Speca

Penn State gets second instate WR with commitment from Peter Gonzalez

Penn State landed another wide receiver in the Class of 2024

Friday was shaping up to be a big day for Penn State, coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and new wide receivers coach [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag]. After landing the first wide receiver of the 2024 recruiting class and the first under Hagans earlier this week, there was a big possibility more were on the way.

Those expectations turned into reality when three-star Pennsylvania wide receiver [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag] officially committed to the Nittany Lions.

Gonzalez is a native of Pittsburgh and plays his high school football at Central Catholic. He is a 6’2″ 200 pound prospect who is a consensus three-star according to the major recruiting sites.

On3’s industry rankings have him listed as the 159th overall receiver in the country and 29th best player in the state of Pennsylvania.

Despite that, Gonzalez was a priority for Franklin and his staff who offered him a scholarship even after his knee injury in January of 2022. Gonzalez joins his high school teammate, [autotag]Anthony Speca[/autotag], in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class.

Gonzalez was getting recruited hard by Virginia Tech, who were in his final three schools. However, he felt he had built a connection with Penn State.

When speaking with Ryan Snyder of On3 about his decision, Gonzalez said, “Honestly, through the ups and downs, theyā€™ve been pretty consistent. They were one of the first schools to offer me and Coach Smith has been consistent the whole way.”

Gonzalez also added, “Theyā€™ve been very honest with my family, which we value a lot. After everything Iā€™ve been through and everything Iā€™ve done, I feel like Iā€™ve truly earned my spot there. I feel like I earned the respect of the people there, which makes it feel like home.”

Coach Hagans also played a major role in the decision.

He told Snyder, “At camp, I was able to be coached by him and I feel like his style fits me well. I can tell based on his past work that he knows how to develop receivers and really be a coach. Some guys want players who can do it all already. Heā€™s someone who can develop you into a better player.”

Hagans now has his second Pennsylvania wide receiver commitment in his first recruiting cycle.

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Four-star CB Kenneth Woseley II commits to Penn State

Penn State went into the weekend with another four-star commitment on the board in the Class of 2024.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] likes to say the best stay in PA and the Nittany Lions added another player who fits that mold on Friday.

Cornerback [autotag]Kenneth Woseley II[/autotag], a four-star recruit, committed to Penn State on Friday making him the fourth player to commit in the class of 2024. He joins fellow four-star recruits [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Speca[/autotag] and [autotag]Kari Jackson[/autotag] in next year’s class giving the Nittany Lions a strong start to what will be a tough cycle.

Something that always is nice, apart from getting a recruiting commitment, is taking away from other Big Ten schools. Woseley II was also considering Nebraska and Rutgers, but the player from Philadelphia ultimately decided to stay in the state and head northwest.

On the 247Sports live stream of his decision, Woseley II was asked what was Penn State going to be getting and he responded with “a top Philly dog.”

Woseley really got to work and spend time with defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] during his official visit with the teamĀ and it proved vital to his decision. Woseley explained, “I like how coach Diazā€™s defense plays gritty and disruptive and I truly believe that it fits my style of play…coach (Bryce) Jones sees me playing corner or nickel.”

He becomes the fourth player that Franklin and his staff have recruited from Philadelphia now. They already have linebacker Abdul Carter, safetyĀ Tyrece MillsĀ and linebackerĀ Keon Wylie who all are on the defensive side of the ball and ready to welcome another from the area to their group.

According toĀ 247Sportsā€™ rankings, Woseley sits as the nationā€™s No. 31 cornerback overall and is eighth overall in the state of Pennslyvania. Looking at the bigger picture, Penn State now sits ranked 17th in the 2023 recruiting class rankings and is third in the Big Ten behind Iowa and Michigan who rank 14th and 5th respectively.

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Anthony Speca, 4-star Central Catholic linebacker commits to Penn State

Central Catholic (Pa.) linebacker Anthony Speca announces his commitment to Penn State.

Penn State is keeping one of the top linebacker prospects in Pennsylvannia in the state.

On Tuesday morning, Central Catholic (Pa.) four-star linebacker Anthony Speca announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on his Twitter page.

Speca visited the school on Saturday. After announcing his decision, he told 247 Sports it felt like home and has everything that he’s looking for.

“I chose Penn State because it has everything Iā€™m looking for… Itā€™s got the academics, the staff, the culture, the players and itā€™s all in state. It felt right when I was there. It felt like home.”

It didn’t take Speca long to start recruiting other athletes for the Nittany Lions. Later in the day he shared a pitch for Belle Vernon (Pa.) five-star athlete Quinton Martin, who’s ranked the top overall recruit in the state and 25th nationally in his class.

As for Speca, (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) he is ranked No. 26 among linebackers in the 2024 cycle and No. 9 overall in the state. He chose Penn State over 17 other offers, including several other Big Ten programs like Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan and Michigan State.

He is Penn State’s second commitment for their 2024 class, which now ranks No. 21 in the nation. McDowell (Pa.) four-star offensive lineman Cooper Cousins is the other.

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LSU offers four-star linebacker from Pittsburgh

The Tigers are going after Anthony Speca, who’s considered a Notre Dame lean.

[autotag]Anthony Speca[/autotag] is a 2024, four-star, 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker from Pittsburgh where he plays for Central Catholic High School. The Vikings are currently 7-4 this season and will travel to North Allegheny for a second-round playoff game this Saturday.

Notre Dame is currently the favorite to land Speca according to 247Sports and On3.

Film Analysis:Ā Speca is an intelligent middle linebacker that uses his high football IQ to diagnose offensive plays and take down ball carriers in the backfield. He is also good at pass coverage. If he gets matched up with a tight end or a slot receiver, he can hold his own.

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