Penn State gets quarterback of the future from Virginia

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State landed the perfect complements for its quarterback of the future: a mammoth offensive tackle and a tall, speedy receiver.

Quarterback Kevin Newsome is already wearing blue and white, having enrolled at Penn State this semester after finishing high school early.

Come fall, he’ll be joined by 6-foot-7 tackle prospect Eric Shrive and 6-foot-3 receiver Justin Brown — two of the high school seniors who cemented their commitments to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday, the first day that recruits can sign national letters of intent.

As of early Wednesday evening, Penn State’s 27-man class was rated 10th-best in the country by Scout.com, and 25th by Rivals.com.

Apparently, 82-year-old Joe Paterno’s health and uncertain contract status during much of the 2008 season didn’t have that much of an effect on recruiting, said Mark Brennan, the editor of Fight on State, which covers Penn State recruiting for the Scout network.

Paterno had surgery to fix an ailing hip in late November, then weeks later signed a three-year extension to keep him on through 2011.

“I don’t think this is as big a deal for recruits as it is to fans and the media,” Brennan said about the speculation of Paterno’s future. “A lot of the elements of the school and program sell itself, and he surrounds himself by coaches that he trusts and have been in this game a long time.”

Both Fight on State and Blue White Illustrated — which cover Penn State recruiting for Rivals — reported that Paterno did not make in-home visits to recruits this season, and that Paterno has made just three in-home visits in the last three years.

“That’s a disadvantage without a doubt. Head coaches are involved in recruiting more than they used to be,” said Rivals analyst Mike Farrell, noting coaches like Florida’s Urban Meyer. “The contract thing, kids don’t care.”

Shrive, considered a five-star prospect by Scout, need only make a two-plus hour drive west from his home in Scranton to get to Happy Valley. He’s probably at least a year away, though, from making a significant contribution.

With graduation losses affecting Penn State heavily at receiver and in the secondary, nabbing Brown and four-star defensive backs Gerald Hodges and Darrell Givens filled positions of need with guys who might be able to contribute as freshmen.

But the key to the class may be Newsome, a mobile, 6-foot-3 quarterback from Portsmouth, Va., who may enter his first year as the top backup to starter Daryll Clark.

Newsome and Clark are the only scholarship QBs on the Penn State roster after Pat Devlin left the program in December. Devlin signed with FCS school Delaware on Wednesday.

“The fact that they not only got Newsome, but that he enrolled early, makes him the most pivotal guy in this class,” Brennan said.

Blue White described Newsome as mobile, dual-threat QB who should fit into Penn State’s spread HD offense. He may need to add bulk to his 6-foot-2 frame.

“He’s an athlete playing quarterback,” said Blue White recruiting analyst Sean Fitz. “The sky’s the limit.”

Also enrolling early with Newsome was Hodges, a 6-foot-3 prospect from Paulsboro, N.J. The early experience could give Hodges, considered a linebacker/safety hybrid, an inside track to possibly seeing playing this fall, because last season’s strong safety, Mark Rubin, has graduated.

“Probably far and away the best defensive player in this class,” Fitz said. “There’s so much potential because he’s so big and so fast.”