Penn State had its share of visitors this past weekend. A lot of them are still in high school. Most of them will never come to State College again. But, for the select few who do make a return, chances are their return will be a glorious one.

The Blue-White game, despite claims of serving as a preview for the talent of the upcoming season, provides a forum for high school football recruits to measure up Happy Valley to other schools during a pseudo-home game weekend.

During his pregame press conference, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno looked up into the rafters of the media room where several dozen prospects were watching with their family members, and jokingly asked: "Who wants to commit?"

Nick Skeparnias, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound quarterback from York Suburban High School in York might be one of players to take up that offer.

He and his father Louis came to this past weekend's scrimmage on one stop of a circuit of universities he is looking to attend and play football at a year from now. Penn State was one of a handful of schools Skeparnias, who will be a high school senior this fall, is looking at. For him, the recruiting process has just begun.

"It's been great," Skeparnias said. "We're taking a lot of trips to a lot of different colleges and things have been great."

Currently, Skeparnias is ranked the No. 3 quarterback in Pennsylvania, according to G & W Recruiting, behind two other players highly sought by Penn State, Chad Henne and Anthony Morelli. As of this past weekend, Skeparnias said he has seen the most interest from Penn State, Duke and Indiana. He has yet to receive a written scholarship offer, but hopes to start getting letters in the mail sometime in May after he attends some recruiting showcases like the Nike Camp.

What does Skeparnias like about the whole recruiting process?

"I guess meeting all of the coaches, the stadiums, seeing the academic programs, and getting to travel to different places," he said. "The stadium, the tradition."

If all goes well, Skeparnias said he wants to verbally commit to a school before the start of his high school season, a sentiment also favored by his father.

"There's a lot of soft offers out there that we think are going to come in after the Nike camp, so it's a process," Louis Skeparnias said.

"We're not going to make any decisions until right before the season, and then we're going to go from there. The first good offer that puts him in a good school with a good educational opportunity we're going to take a good look at."

One high school junior who does have a written offer from Penn State is Moon High School defensive/offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley. With a 6-3, 275-pound frame, Shipley has already received a few offers from some Big Ten schools.

His athletic ability on both sides of the ball has been part of the reason he has drawn so much interest and scholarships, despite only being in the early stages of the 2003-2004 recruiting season.

"Penn State is wild, I like it a lot up here," said Shipley, who added that he would probably make his decision early.

Like Skeparnias, Shipley was blown away by one of the mainstays in Happy Valley.

"The stadium, I like this stadium," Shipley said.

In addition to Beaver Stadium, Shipley included tradition, academics, the coaching staff and players as the variables for his final decision to commit.

Another prospect making the rounds who has seen interest from the Lions is defensive back Chazz Lynn.

Hailing from Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, N.J., Lynn's top school right now is Rutgers, which is the only school so far to write out an offer, although he is keeping his options open as he waits for a scholarship offer from Penn State, among others.

"It's been fun coming home from school and opening letters from different colleges, so it's been enjoyable so far," Lynn said.

"I came in high school saying I wanted to play in the west coast, but right now I have no clue. I'm looking for an atmosphere, academics and a family."