STATE COLLEGE — While coach Joe Paterno likes to keep a low profile, many of his incoming freshmen weren't bashful about their intentions to attend Penn State.

At a hotel in Baltimore, A.J. Wallace, Antonio Logan-El and several other highly touted Penn State recruits slid blue-and-white caps on their head, smiled for the cameras and talked about living in Happy Valley.

Paterno was smiling, too. After a banner 2005 campaign, Penn State cashed in on the recruiting trail on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period.

Analysts at two recruiting sites, Rivals.com and Scout.com, had the Nittany Lions' incoming class of 24 recruits among at least the top 10 in the nation.

"To turn around and have a class like this, it's phenomenal," said Bob Lichtenfels, an analyst for Scout.com. "It shows that JoePa is not finished yet."

Paterno was in a good mood on Wednesday, handing out loaves of garlic bread in the lobby of the school's football building after the signing day bustle died down. He downplayed the increased hype over the recruiting process but heaped praise on his assistants for their work.

It helps that Penn State finished the 2005 season ranked third in the AP poll at 11-1, including an Orange Bowl win over Florida State.

"Always, when you win it helps," he said. "There's no question about that."

Paterno had quite a haul from Maryland, so it was appropriate that some of his recruits got together at a function organized by defensive end signee Aaron Maybin and his family at a Holiday Inn in Baltimore. That's not far from Greenbelt, Md., hometown of Derrick Williams, who helped ignite Penn State's offense this past season as a freshman.

Wallace is considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation but also excels on offense, having run for nearly 2,100 yards and 26 touchdowns last year at McDonough High School in Pomfret, Md.

Sounds a lot like Justin King, the speedy two-way player who starred as a freshman this past season at Penn State.

"He's got all the tools to shine," Kevin Noon, an analyst for Rivals.com, said about Wallace, who has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Logan-El ranks among the nation's best offensive line prospects, but also made an impact on defense during his senior season at Forestville (Md.) High School, with 82 tackles and three forced fumbles.

He announced last week that he was switching to Penn State after having made an oral commitment to the University of Maryland before his junior year.

Quarterback Pat Devlin followed a similar path to State College.

Devlin, Pennsylvania's career scholastic passing yardage leader with 8,162 yards for Class AAAA Downingtown East, originally committed to Miami. He announced last week he was instead headed to Penn State. Devlin had said he changed his mind after Hurricanes coach Larry Coker fired some of his staff, including quarterbacks coach Dan Werner.

Devlin already has connections to Happy Valley — his parents both Penn State graduates and his grandfather lives in State College.

Anthony Morelli, a junior next year, is poised to assume the starting quarterback job next fall from Michael Robinson.

Scouts say Chris Bell, a wide receiver signee from Norfolk, Va., has the size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) and speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) to be an immediate compliment to Williams in the passing game.

Andrew Quarless, a 6-foot-4, 228-pound tight end from Uniondale, N.Y., with 4.5-second 40-yard dash, might also contribute immediately because "he can stretch field vertically," Lichtenfels said.

The impact that first-year players Williams and King had this past season has been closely watched by high school players, Noon said.

But Paterno said the subject of playing time didn't come up much when he spoke with recruits. Instead, many signees told him that they liked the close-knit family atmosphere at Penn State, Paterno said.

Three of the past season's four defensive line starters have run out of eligibility, including All-American Tamba Hali. Maurice Evans, of Middle Village, N.Y. and Jared Odrick, of Lebanon, are a couple of Penn State's top D-line signees and might help replenish depth.

The 79-year-old Paterno said he tries to visit each recruit at their home, and the subject of how much longer he will coach doesn't come up much.

"I tell them I don't think I can go much longer than 10 years," Paterno joked. Then he added, "The quality of all the people around here have made it less important how much longer I'm going to be here."

Maybin, in a telephone interview, said he had a few doubts initially about how active the 79-year-old Paterno was before meeting him in person.

"I really have no worries about Paterno," he said. "If anybody knows Coach Paterno, he's not trying to leave until he wins another national championship."