Linebacker U in transition: Central Catholic grad Anthony Speca among expected breakout players for Penn State

Penn State’s linebacker room is “one of the weirdest” position groups in the country, according to assistant coach Dan Connor. Why? We’ll let him explain.

“We have a brand new coordinator, and there’s no solidified starters,” Connor said. “There’s not, in my mind, a solidified starter at any position. Guys can play in different positions. Guys haven’t really re-earned their positions just yet. And there’s a lot of young, hungry guys.”

Connor, speaking to reporters earlier this month, might have been using some pre-training camp coach speak when saying there isn’t a solidified starter in his group.

Tony Rojas, a rising junior, is poised for a breakout season after flashing moments of excellence in 16 starts last year. Dom DeLuca, a redshirt senior who played starter-level snaps, is back. Amare Campbell, a dynamic, experienced transfer portal addition from North Carolina, was added to the mix last month. So it’s not as if Linebacker U doesn’t have options.

Things are a bit fluid, though. Rojas is coming off postseason surgery. Campbell hasn’t played a down for Penn State yet. And new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is still installing his system, which historically has featured formations with only two linebackers.

But perhaps what has gone overlooked in the conversations around Penn State’s linebacker room are the players not named Rojas, Campbell and DeLuca. As Connor noted, there are several “young, hungry guys” itching for a chance to shine.

Connor was asked if there’s a linebacker or two who the media isn’t talking about enough — players who are impressing him but might not be generating headlines just yet. Connor rattled off three names: Keon Wylie, DaKaari Nelson and Anthony Speca.

Wylie is “a guy who could have a big season.” The fourth-year player from Imhotep Charter missed last season with an injury. But Wylie, a high school defensive end with a great motor, played in 13 games in 2023 and was expected to have a role last fall before the injury.

Nelson, who moved from safety to linebacker last summer, was maybe Penn State’s best special teams player in 2024, Connor said. After “going through the learning curve” of switching positions and “having it click for him,” there’s belief Nelson can be a factor on defense.

Speca could also be a factor as a second-year player. The Central Catholic product, who redshirted as a freshman, impressed the staff and his teammates this past spring. Speca, who wears No. 40 like Connor used to, has a bright future.

But for Speca — and Nelson and Wylie, for that matter — the future could be now. Sure, Penn State’s defense is currently in a state of transition under Knowles. This is a unit, though, that is expected to be among the best in the country on a team pushing for a national title.

In order for that dream to become a reality, the linebacker room will have to be more than just Rojas, DeLuca and Campbell. And Connor believes in that group of overlooked contributors.

“I don’t want those guys to have the spotlight because I think they actually work harder, and they’ll train better being overlooked,” Connor said with a laugh. “… But there’s a ton of guys that I’m excited about, having known them for a couple years and seeing their growth and development. Feel like they’re on the cusp of one of those breakout years.”