During September 2025, Sprang contributed to the libsdl-org/aom repository by developing speculative encoding support for the AV1 codec. He introduced the AOM_EFLAG_FREEZE_INTERNAL_STATE flag, enabling frames to be encoded without altering the encoder’s internal state, which preserves reference buffers and rate control for advanced workflows like multi-pass encoding and B-frames. Sprang addressed state management issues by refining lookahead handling, ensuring av1_lookahead_pop() was correctly invoked to prevent state leakage when lag-in-frames was enabled. His work, implemented in C and C++, included comprehensive tests for both single-layer and SVC encoding, demonstrating a deep understanding of codec development and software engineering.