Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 MAY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep line- backer Anthony Sacca announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish over Alabama, Duke, Ohio State and Wis- consin March 30. The son of former Penn State quar- terback Tony Sacca (1988-91) received his offer from the Fighting Irish in De- cember 2021, the same month that Mar- cus Freeman became Notre Dame's new head coach. It only took two visits to South Bend for the 6-2½, 225-pounder to commit to the Irish. He visited for the Blue-Gold Game last spring and was back on campus for the Ohio State game last fall. Sacca took a pragmatic approach to his recruiting process. After talking things over with his family and high school coaches, they decided about a week before announcing the news that Notre Dame would be the best place for him. "My dad told me to go where I'm wanted and where I feel most comfort- able, and those were two big things for me," Sacca told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "All of these schools were great options; there was no bad decision. You have to go with the best decision for yourself. "Over the past couple of years, I've built a strong relationship with Coach [Al] Golden, and he and my dad have known each other for a long time. "I've gotten to know him, and our re- lationship has trust. He was a straight shooter with me the entire way. He's told me how I'd fit in and their plans for me. "Talking to Coach Freeman on my visits and over the phone — Notre Dame was one of the most consistent schools throughout my recruitment." He had an early April trip to Alabama planned. Then, it was going to be visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wis- consin later in the spring. Sacca was thinking about stretching his recruit- ment out a bit longer, but he and his inner circle talked things over. On the Monday morning before his Saturday ceremony March 30, Sacca decided to pick the Fighting Irish. "I've seen mostly everything from the schools," Sacca said. "I didn't need to see much more and sit down with coaches and hear their pitches." Sacca makes a good point. He has been through the process for quite some time as someone who received his first offer (Temple) during his freshman sea- son. He visited the schools he wanted to see and built strong relationships — some of which have lasted years at this point. Take Notre Dame's Golden, for exam- ple. The veteran coach joined the Irish staff as defensive coordinator and line- backers coach in February 2022 and had an immediate "in" with Sacca. Golden played with Anthony's father at Penn State. Longtime Irish fans may remem- ber Sacca connecting with Golden, a tight end for the Nittany Lions, for a touchdown when Penn State upset the Irish in 1990. But that's all in the past now. Golden is Irish, and so is Tony Sacca's son. The younger Sacca informed Golden of his decision to commit the evening of March 25. Golden was about to have dinner with a recruit visiting campus when he got the call from Sacca. "He was surprised; they weren't ex- pecting it to be this soon," Sacca noted. "They thought it'd be further down the road when I'd make a decision. "I talked to [Irish general manager] Chad Bowden after I talked to Coach Golden, and then I got on the phone with Coach Freeman and Coach [Max] Bullough over the next couple of days." The rising senior linebacker will en- roll at Notre Dame next summer. He wants to play as soon as he can in the blue and gold. "I'm looking to compete at the high- est level every single day," he explained. "I want to be surrounded by people who have the same values as me. At Notre Dame, it's unique because you get that great education and high-level football that you can't find at most places. "Every kid wants to play in the NFL, and I think I have a shot at it. I can get a really good degree here and have a chance to play at the next level." On3 ranks Sacca as the No. 8 recruit in Pennsylvania and the No. 50 linebacker nationally. Sacca posted 67 tackles and 2 in- terceptions during his junior season, during which St. Joseph Prep posted a 13-1 record and captured its second straight Pennsylvania 6A state title. He earned 2023 MaxPreps High School Football Junior All-America second- team honors. The elder Sacca was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals. After a short stint in the NFL, Sacca played overseas for a couple of seasons with the Barce- lona Dragons in Spain. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE ANTHONY SACCA Notre Dame Lands Pledge From Penn State Legacy Recruit Sacca — whose father, Tony, played quarterback for the Nittany Lions from 1988-91 — is the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 50 line- backer in the country per On3. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER FILM ANALYSIS "Anthony Sacca can be seen playing free safety and linebacker, and is best suited to play linebacker at the next level. He can play either inside or outside, plays the game with a flair, is explosive off the line and is a pure speed rusher with a nose for the ball. He's been blessed with long arms, which allow him to get his hands on a lot of passes. "Sacca is hard-hitting defender with the abil- ity to become an All-American at the next level." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming