They came for the architect. They came for the chance to play for Joe Paterno.

For years, if you asked a Penn State recruit why he chose the Nittany Lions, his response would likely have included the iconic coach.

Almost 43 years into Paterno's tenure, they still come for the 81-year-old legend, but not as much so, and that's the way he wants it.

For the last 15 years, Paterno has told recruits to consider Penn State for reasons other than himself. He has told them, "Don't put me in the equation beyond what it should be."

"Look at the people that are going to be in this program," Paterno recounted last month. "Look at Penn State. Look at its history. Look at the fact that we've had four [actually five] head coaches since 1918. . . . Look at the fact that we got 110,000 [seats in the stadium]. Look at the enthusiasm. Look at the academic support."

For 15 years, Paterno has used that pitch to counter those - especially rival coaches - who have predicted his end. They have been wrong. But for the first time, there is reason to believe the end is near, nearer than maybe he and his loyal acolytes care to admit.

Paterno is in the last year of his contract. The university will not give him an extension, saying it's unnecessary, but will evaluate his future following the 2008 season.

It's not a scenario one would imagine benefits recruiting, and it has had many a Penn State watcher predicting doomsday. But with recruiting for the 2009 class in full swing, the Lions have been surprisingly active participants, already bagging 12 oral commitments.

The Inquirer spoke to more than two dozen recruits to whom Penn State has offered scholarships. Some have accepted, others have committed elsewhere, and some are still undecided. But a majority, whether they meant it or not, have said that the "Paterno situation" has not influenced, or will not influence, their decision.

And yet, some have voiced their concerns. When Terrelle Pryor, last year's No. 1 quarterback recruit, said he eliminated Penn State before selecting Ohio State because Penn State didn't have a succession plan in place, the sting was sharp.

And while the Lions have fulfilled needs on the offensive line and at defensive back, there is a glaring hole at quarterback. The national signing day, meanwhile, is still eight long months away.

"These recruits are as verbal as verbal can be," said Mike Farrell, national recruiting editor for the Web site rivals.com. "Let's say Penn State has a bad year and Paterno is gone. Or let's say Penn State has an OK year and nobody knows whether JoePa is going to be back. Or let's say his health fails. You could see a whole lot of de-commitments."

Who's got next?

This year, the NCAA forbade head coaches from visiting recruits in the May contact period. But the new rule didn't inhibit Paterno as much as other coaches, since he rarely hits the trail nowadays. The job has fallen to his assistant coaches, who must now frame the "Paterno situation" to inquiring recruits.

Defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, one of the team's best recruiters, has been partly responsible for eight commitments, with most of the players from Maryland. According to several, Johnson has assured them that Paterno's successor will be in-house.

"He said [Paterno's] going to coach for as long as he can," said Derrick Thomas, a cornerback from Greenbelt, Md. "If this year would happen to be his last, someone on the staff would get the head coaching job."

Paterno has not endorsed a candidate - despite possible contenders such as defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, and Johnson - nor has university president Graham Spanier, who could conceivably look elsewhere.

Through team spokesman Guido D'Elia, Johnson and the other assistant coaches declined to be interviewed for this article.

"When I went up there, you could tell that it's not all Coach Paterno," said Gerald Hodges, an undecided safety from Paulsboro. "It's a lot of his coaching staff. You can tell that when he leaves, it's not going to change."