COLLEGE FOOTBALL Youngstown State expected to sign nine recruits today

Four area players are members of the Penguins' recruiting class.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;By PETE MOLLICA & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock always has said he wants players who want to be at Youngstown State.
His point will be proven with the nine recruits expected to sign national letters of intent today.
All nine of this year's recruiting class either are enrolled at YSU or made verbal commitments to the Penguins prior to today's signing date.
Two members of this year's class already are enrolled at YSU, and will take part in this year's spring practice drills.
Both are transfer students from major colleges -- quarterback Vince Gliatta of Canton Central Catholic who transferred from Penn State and running back Monquantae Gibson, a Louisville, Ky., native who transferred from the University of Kentucky.
Four area players
This class includes four area players, including two from Howland High, which qualified for the Division II state playoffs the past three years in a row.
They are tight end Chris Kenney and defensive lineman Brad Samsa.
They are joined by two All-State selections in Struthers High's Justin Decker, a two-time first team All-Ohio selection at offensive tackle, and Brian Palmer, a kicker/punter from Mineral Ridge.
The Penguins have maintained their Florida connection with the addition of offensive guard Josh Tanner from Orlando.
The two other players are All-State honorable mention Tyler Booth from Tuscarawas Valley High near New Philadelphia (an offensive lineman) and Ben Suron, an All-State selection at defensive tackle from Homestead High School in Meguon, Wis.
Wants to play QB
Gliatta (6-1, 205) signed with Penn State as a defensive back, but wants to play quarterback where he set school records as a high school senior. He was a red-shirt last season at Penn State and will have four years of playing time at YSU.
Gibson (6-1, 195) played in seven games last season for the Wildcats, his red-shirt freshman season. He had just 12 yards on six carries, but scored a touchdown against Mississippi State. He was one of Kentucky's top running backs in high school where he rushed for 2,756 yards as a senior and scored 43 touchdowns.
In one game against Shawnee High School, Gibson rushed for 574 yards on 24 carries to set a state record. He also had nine touchdowns in the contest.
Decker could be the sleeper in this year's class. The 6-4, 285-pound performer was recruited by several Division I-A schools including Georgia Tech, but chose to stay home and play for the Penguins. He has been twice named to The Vindicator's all-star team and this summer will play in the North-South Ohio All-Star game in Columbus.
More size and depth
Samsa (6-3, 260) and Suron (6-2, 276) will add some bulk to the Penguins defensive front line, while Booth (6-6, 285), Tanner (6-2, 290) and Decker will add some depth to the offensive line.
Kenney (6-3, 250) caught 14 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns for Howland last year and graded out at 80 percent blocking in the Tigers' run-oriented offense.
Palmer (6-0, 165) was one of the most accurate kickers in the area for the past four seasons. He began kicking for the Rams as a freshmen and made 10 field goals. He finished his career making 24 of 30 field goals with the longest being 50 yards. He is also a punter and averaged more than 40 yards per kick.