With the departure of Penn State wide receivers coach Kenny Carter, many followers of the team are concerned how it may affect the program's relationship with many of the Nittany Lions' incoming verbal commitments for their Class of 2004, especially the future wideout prospects.

Penn State currently has only one verbal commitment from a true wide receiver, he being 6-foot-4, 210-pound Mark Rubin from Buffalo.

Rubin talked about how he found out about Carter heading to another school.

"Thursday evening Coach [Dick] Anderson called me and informed me that Coach Carter would be going to Vanderbilt," Rubin said. "I can't really say I was surprised by it because I had been reading that he was looking to go to other places, but I'm happy for him. It seems like he was a great coach, and he deserves this opportunity. I would have liked to have him coach me. I am confident that there are other coaches that are competent and will be even better, but that will be hard to do."

But does his commitment to the Lions waiver?

"No, I'm still 100 percent committed to Penn State," Rubin said. "I'm excited to get there and get the show going."

While Carter was not the primary recruiter of Rubin, the two did form a close relationship over the past several months. However, it was Anderson who was the main courter for the Amherst Central prospect.

"Penn State is still one of the best places in the country, bar-none," Rubin said. "Stuff like this happens. It doesn't change Penn State or their tradition."

As for a replacement for Carter, Rubin said nobody on Penn State's staff has notified him about any possible candidates.

"When I talked to Coach Anderson, it was more just to find out about it," Rubin said. "At the time, he didn't get a chance to talk to Coach Carter too much. They haven't told me about any replacements. I know they'll find a good replacement."

Recruiting Round Up

Last Thursday, Penn State received commitment No. 22 from 6-foot-3, 300-pound New Jersey defensive tackle Elijah Robinson.

Robinson sat out a year after originally committing to Tulane last year, but he did not academically qualify. He officially enrolled for the 2004 spring semester and will begin working out with the team this week.

Joining Robinson will be Class of 2004 commitments Dan Connor and Greg Harrison. Both graduated from high school a semester early and are enrolled at Penn State this semester.

Defensive back Jonathan Jackson, who originally committed to the Lions in the Class of 2003 but did not enroll in the fall due to a medical condition, started attending classes yesterday. He has yet to be cleared to play football.

Over the holiday break, Penn State added Rice transfer Jimmy Shaw, a defensive end, to its roster. He is the older brother of current Nittany Lions' defensive tackle John Shaw.