The opportunity to play Big Ten football was too much for Logan Anthony to pass up.

On Thursday, the much-recruited offensive lineman from Palmerton officially signed a commitment to Rutgers University where he seeks to go toe-to-toe with defenses the likes of Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan.

Anthony chose the Scarlet Knights over a multitude of Division 1 offers — including those from West Virginia, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Cornell.

There were several factors that led to Anthony’s choice of Rutgers over the rest.

“The university is in a city, and I liked the idea of a change from where I have grown up,” he said. “The most important thing, other than playing for a Big Ten team, was that I really felt wanted by Coach Schiano and his coaching staff.

“He’s got a great resume, not only at Rutgers, but in the NFL, too. I also meshed with the players when I visited the campus, and that sold me on Rutgers.”

What Anthony brings to the Scarlet Knights, where he will play guard or center, is an impressive resume of his own. He won a dozen awards in 2024, and this past season he was Lineman of the Year in the Colonial League White Division.

He also was awarded First Team Guard, First Team Defensive tackle and Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

“I’m happy to celebrate this day with Logan,” said Blue Bomber head coach Chris Walkowiak. “He’s worked very hard to develop as an elite player from the weight room to the football field. For his size, he’s extremely athletic and flexible, especially with his feet which is essential for a lineman to be successful.”

At 6-4 and 315 pounds, he led Palmerton with 50 pancake blocks — and that was with having missed the second half of the season with a dislocated elbow injury.

“He finishes his blocks and gets quickly to the next level, and is very good at blocking in open space,” said Walkowiak. “He has excellent knowledge when learning schemes. Besides his athleticism, he’s very humble, has excellent character and is very good student.”

Anthony’s academic achievements earned him an early admission at Rutgers, and he will begin his education at their New Brunswick campus early in January, before he returns to Palmerton this spring to graduate with his classmates.

Also a stellar basketball player and shot putter for the Bombers, he began playing flag football when he was just four years old, and that’s when he fell in love with the game.

“I actually love to practice my butt off,” he said, “because it prepares me for big moments in the games.”

Anthony admitted that he had never thought that the day would come when he would sign to play at a Big Ten University.

“I’m taking it all in now, and it’s a huge deal for me,” he said.

He gives credit to his parents Mike and Tina Anthony for their support, and to his coaches at Palmerton.

“Coach Walkowiak has been great to me. His family and mine are very close. My line coach, Mike Falcone, has taught me a lot about how to play the game at a high level.”

At Rutgers, Anthony will be red-shirted during his freshman year. Beginning in January, he will spend conditioning time in the weight room building his strength and continue to improve his footwork for run and pass blocking.

“I will be dropping some weight in exchange for building more muscle,” he said.

While he trains at Rutgers, he will miss playing basketball and throwing the shot put in his senior year at Palmerton.

“Both of those sports have helped me improve my footwork. In basketball, I needed to be quick on my feet and with throwing the shot from the circle, I improved my balance and my explosiveness.”

When he’s not training or playing football, Anthony likes to watch Trent Williams play tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and when he looks to relax with a snack, he goes to Wawa for their pretzels.

As a student, he enjoys science and intends to major at Rutgers in kinesiology, which is the study of anatomical human body movement. His studies should come in handy when he lines up in a three-point stance staring through the face mask of a Nittany Lion, a Buckeye and a Wolverine.

As he becomes the only Big Ten lineman in the history of Palmerton football, Logan Anthony looks forward to the challenge of helping the Scarlet Knights win football games, and making his hometown community proud.