GREENBELT, Md. - Derrick Williams, regarded by many analysts as the nation's top high school football player, announced Wednesday that he will attend Penn State University.

Williams, who played multiple positions at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, said he chose Penn State over Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and other nationally ranked teams because of his respect and desire to play for legendary coach Joe Paterno.

"That whole state is Joe Paterno's state," Willams told a news conference at Eleanor Roosevelt. "It's a great school. The facilities, the people and the alumni - all of that was great."

The 6-foot, 193-pounder, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, is scheduled to graduate this month and enroll at Penn State for the spring semester. He is projected to play wide receiver.

Landing Williams was quite a coup for Penn State, which finished 4-7 last season, its fourth losing season in the last five years. As recently as late September, Williams' father said Penn State was "off our list" because of its poor play.

But Paterno visited Williams in Greenbelt last spring, and in October the Williams family was treated to a home-cooked meal at Paterno's house and met with Penn State President Graham Spanier for an hour at his home.

As a senior, Williams ran for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns, threw for 800 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught 11 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns on offense and had four interceptions on defense.

Williams, ranked as the nation's No. 1 prospect by the Rivals.com scouting service, is the second top 10 recruit landed by Penn State in the last two months. Justin King, a cornerback-running back at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa., chose Penn State over Michigan. Rivals.com rated King the nation's top cornerback prospect and No. 9 player overall.