Quarterback prospect Brett Brackett arrived at Penn State camp as a freshman, saw who was ahead of him on the depth chart and realized his long odds of playing early.

His high school coach knew how Brackett, a three-year starter at Lawrence High School, would handle sitting on the bench.

Not well.

"I think it would have eaten him alive," Rob Radice said. "He has expectations for himself to be on the field. He would have darn near killed himself to get on the field."

Brackett's path to quicker playing time was paved when Penn State played Notre Dame in 2006. Before former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija turned into a late-inning relief pitcher for the playoff-bound Chicago Cubs, he was an All-American who stood 6 feet, 5 inches.

Enter Brackett, who stands 6-foot-6, as the player who replicated Samardzija on the scout team the week Penn State played Notre Dame.

"They threw me out there to try that, and I guess I did better than they planned," Brackett said.

Brackett stayed at quarterback in 2006 -- his true freshman season -- but was shifted to wide receiver after the season and towers over 5-foot-10 Deon Butler, 5-foot-11 Jordan Norwood and 6-foot Derrick Williams.

Brackett also had a 35-inch vertical in high school, so his vertical, combined with his height, provides quarterback Daryll Clark with a different option. Brackett's height makes him an ideal threat on a fade route or jump balls.

"Brett Brackett is a huge asset to the team," Clark said. "He has a big body. He has speed. He can really catch the ball. ... He really knows how to use his body when it comes to going up and bringing the ball down."

Brackett's strides have come quickly. A year ago, he was shadowing Terrell Golden, a former receiver and current graduate assistant who demonstrated the nuances of the position.

His new position also brought new obstacles. Instead of conditioning himself to run rollouts or short designed runs, Brackett was running all-out sprints. Instead of calling the plays and reading blocks, he was doing the blocking.

"The blocking was definitely the toughest spot for me to learn," Brackett said.

Ironically, Brackett partially chose Penn State because the Nittany Lions promised he wouldn't switch positions immediately. Georgia and Ole Miss wanted Brackett to play tight end, and other schools recruited him as an athlete.

"Lo and behold, I got switched anyway," Brackett said.

Brackett, a redshirt sophomore, seems to be in line to start next season after Butler, Norwood and Williams graduate. As for this season, Brackett has caught five passes for 63 yards.

He caught his first career touchdown pass against Temple.

"Brackett's a good athlete," coach Joe Paterno said. "Being taller helps when you're a wideout. He can get them out there on the corner, and when you get really good with the passing game, you can put the ball up for grabs and he can grab it."