What had long been expected became official Wednesday.

Daryll Clark has 2009 eligibility.

Clark has completed more than 85 percent of the credits required to earn his telecommunications degree and will be eligible to play next season, sports information director Jeff Nelson wrote in an e-mail.

Clark is on pace to graduate in December, three and a half years after enrolling at Penn State and will pursue a second degree or graduate school in the spring semester.

He was academically ineligible out of high school and attended Kiski School before enrolling at Penn State.

Wednesday's announcement was confirmation of what had been a foregone conclusion.

Clark seemed confident before the Blue-White game and again recently that he would be granted an extra year of eligibility.

He will be a fifth-year senior in 2009.

The unknown is how Clark's extra year might influence Pat Devlin, if at all.

Devlin will be a redshirt senior the season after Clark's eligibility has expired.

Clark and Devlin vied to be the starting quarterback, and Joe Paterno announced last week that Clark would be the starter for Coastal Carolina.

Devlin said after Saturday's game that thoughts of transferring had entered his head, but he thought Penn State "was the place for me."

Clark, who went 11-for-14 for 146 yards and one touchdown, will

also start Saturday against Oregon State.

Devlin's high school coach, Michael Matta, said earlier this week that Devlin isn't one to back away from challenges.

"He's a guy who's going to go out and work harder and prove to them he should be out there," Matta said. "He's not a guy who's going to take his ball and go home. That's not his style."