Bayonne High School's Jerome Hayes, one of New Jersey's top football players and one of the highest rated linebackers in the country, announced this morning that he will play college football at Penn State.

Hayes, recruited by Penn State when he was a ninth grader, said he wants to be part of turning around the Nittany Lions program, which has fallen on hard times in the last five years.

He chose the Lions over Rutgers, Florida, Miami and Michigan State. The 6-2, 225-pound linebacker/running back (Michigan State recruited him as a running back) will join a stellar linebacker corps at Penn State and could add immediate depth to the crucial position.

Hayes' coach, Rick Rodriguez, said Hayes "is the best kid I have ever coached. He's a tremendous player, loyal and a good boy. We spent four great years together."

He said Hayes, who has 4.6 40-yard speed, not only has excellent speed but plays with intensity and is "very physical."

Penn State had been Hayes' favorite school since ninth grade, when former Lion assistant head coach Fran Ganter started to recruit him. But when Ganter retired after the 2003 season, Hayes, who has visited Penn State more than 15 times, cooled to the Lions and started visiting other colleges.

He took an official visit to Penn State, with his parents, last weekend, and that sealed the deal. Rodriguez said a lot of the credit for getting Hayes to commit to Penn State has to go to Justin King and Derrick Williams, two of the Lions' top recruits who enrolled in January.

Hayes met King at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio and King talked to him about joining the recruiting class. Williams, by telephone and during the official visit, also asked Hayes to join them because "we got something special here and we want you to be a part of it," according to Rodriguez. Other players also urged him to consider Penn State.

Rodriguez believes Hayes could have an impact on special teams this year, but he said that Hayes' playing time will depend on "how fast he can grasp the system. It is sometimes difficult to pick up the mental aspects" when you go to another level. "We're going to find out how good he is," Rodriguez added.

Hayes, a two-time all-state performer, had a stellar senior season, with 103 tackles, four fumble recoveries and eight forced fumbles. He also rushed for 1,200 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.

He was recruited by assistant coaches Dick Anderson and Ron Vanderlinden, with assistance from Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley. Head Coach Joe Paterno also visited the Hayes home.