Penn State Signs Coveted Qb

Penn State got the quarterback it craved and ended up the big winner on national signing day in college football.

The Nittany Lions, who lost top-rated Dan Kendra to Florida State a year ago, signed Rashard Casey, the highly touted quarterback from Hoboken, N.J.

Add versatile running backs Joe Dawkins of Hackensack, N.J., and Ken Watson of Harrisburg, Pa., and coach Joe Paterno’s incoming group topped Southern California for the nation’s strongest.

Casey, 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, was rated the No. 2 quarterback by SuperPrep, just behind Tim Couch, who stayed home and signed with Kentucky.

Southern California was the best in the West, signing a talented trio of receivers and a top quarterback in Mike Van Raaphorst of La Mesa, Calif.

UCLA received a huge boost when Sylmar (Calif.) High tailback Durell Price signed with the school, hours after thinking he had faxed a letter of intent to Ohio State. Once Price realized the wrong side of the fax had been sent to Ohio State, he reconsidered his decision and signed with UCLA.