By now you've probably heard their names. You may even know their faces. But just who are Derrick Williams and Justin King?
At 2 p.m. tomorrow, everybody gets to finally find out.
The weather forecast right now mirrors the win forecast of the 2004 Penn State football team (4-7, 2-6): a 60 percent chance of rain to go along with a 60 percent chance of losing.
But maybe King and Williams can stave off the storm the same way they're supposed to stave off the recent culture of losing surrounding the Nittany Lions.
That's the word on the street at least.
Williams, the No. 1 overall prospect for the incoming class of 2009 according to Rivals.com, brings his fast 4.3-second, 40-yard dash time to a wide out position that was virtually non-existent last year.
"I didn't know he was that fast," quarterback Michael Robinson said. "Once he stops and starts, he's back and forth up to full speed within three steps."
Williams has been earning his stripes all spring practice lining up against cornerback Alan Zemaitis, and still has been holding his own even against the second-team All-Big Ten Zemaitis. "[Former Lions cornerback] Rich Gardner and AZ, those guys are quick," Robinson said. "But I've never seen anybody able to stop and pick up their speed immediately like he can."
King, on the other hand, the No. 9 overall prospect and top-cornerback nationally, comes into a secondary chock full of veteran leaders.
King's got his own set of wheels, with the same 4.3-second, 40-yard dash time kind of chrome on Williams'.
The new duo is also set to contribute immediately in another gaping hole in the Lions game: the return game.
Penn State was 87th out of 117 teams in NCAA Division I-A in punt returns last season, and an even worse 109th in kick returns.
Tomorrow's Blue-White game will also be put-up or shut-up time at the Penn State nation's favorite place of controversy: quarterback.
Robinson has been given the green-light all spring practice, and Lions coach Joe Paterno has said that while the quarterback competition is open, Robinson is a quarterback and a quarterback only.
"He thinks that I can help this team the best at quarterback," Robinson said about Paterno's decision. "I know I'm going to be at quarterback. I'm running every snap at quarterback, just getting as many throws in practices that you can."
A lot of criticism has come from the notorious knack of Lions' fans to favor the greener grass on the other side of the fence, in the form of second-team quarterback Anthony Morelli.
More eyes may be on Morelli's matchup with Robinson than on newcomers King and Williams, but this is the Blue-White game after all, and Paterno is prone to pull possible first stringers in favor of giving playing time to more of the "you-haven't-heard-their-names-yet" players.
As if a football game never drew a crowd to State College before, this year's Blue-White game has been transformed into Blue-White weekend featuring more Qdoba burrito freebies than you could ever wrap your tortilla around, carnival ferris-wheel action, and carnie comedy in the form of Ron White of The Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
Admission to the football festivities inside Beaver Stadium is free to all, and a 12:30 p.m. player autograph session will take place prior to the intrasquad game.
