Joe Paterno and his assistants may have built their football program on the principles of honor and integrity, but the bespectacled one has built his 2006 recruiting class with good old-fashioned thievery.

Today is National Letter of Intent Day, and Paterno's 11 is trying to hit one last bank before it slips away. By the time the ringleader puts his glasses on the nightstand this evening, he hopes to have pilfered two more top prospects to put the finishing touches on his master caper.

He has already nabbed stud quarterback Pat Devlin from a verbal commitment to Miami, linebacker Bani Gbadyu from Louisiana State and guard Antonio Logan-El from Maryland, in addition to wideout Cedric Jeffries and tailback Brent Carter from Virginia.

But with reports suggesting that Paterno may be close to snatching Scout.com's No. 1 wideout prospect Vidal Hazleton from Pete Carroll and USC, Penn State fans still have plenty to watch for as the drama of signing day plays out.

After committing to Penn State last week, Devlin said he planned on doing what he could to bring Hazleton, a good friend, to Happy Valley with him.

"I plan on calling him. I'm going to tell him that I want to have him with me," Devlin said. "But as a friend, I'm going to tell him he should do what's right for him."

In addition to a possible flip on the part of Hazleton, the Nittany Nation should be watching for a decision from yet another defensive lineman.

The Maryland Diamondback is reporting that mega defensive end recruit Melvin Alaeze could be thinking about going back on his verbal commitment to Maryland and heading to Penn State in the fall after spending last fall trying to improve his grades at the Hargrave Military Academy.

Alaeze may not even make a decision at all until he has some academic issues sorted out with the NCAA, but told the Diamondback that he has letters of intent for Penn State and Maryland ready to sign if and when he makes his decision.

Carter's change of heart has made the future of tailback LeSean McCoy less of a priority for Penn State, but the four-star recruit from Harrisburg still has Penn State listed as one of the four teams in the running when he announces this afternoon.

About a dozen other recruits who already gave a verbal commitment to Penn State will have a joint signing at a Baltimore area hotel this afternoon.

But even with all the other story lines still in play for the Nittany Lions, all eyes will be on Hazleton tomorrow.

"I'd say right now we're 50/50, it could go either way. Penn State has really showed us that family is important to them,"

Vidal's father Dexter Hazelton told Scout.com "They have talked to grandparents, aunts, uncles, everybody. That is one concern I have about USC, is the lack of a family oriented atmosphere."

What father wouldn't want his son playing Robin Hood and his merry men?

By this evening we'll see if Paterno and company had continue to steal from the rich and give to not so poor.