Matt Vaughan Herald Sports Editor

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Standout lineman Desmond Roberts is keeping busy these days as three power programs vie to gain his skills for the upcoming college football season.

Roberts, a senior at Northampton-West, is being wooed by North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Penn State to play on a full scholarship.

“I have all the papers sitting here at my house,” Roberts said of the scholarship offers during a phone interview Thursday.

Roberts verbally committed to N.C. State in 2006, before his senior football season, but has opened up to other options after the firing of former Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound senior traveled to Raleigh last weekend for his official visit, and met new head coach Tom O'Brien in the process.

Virginia Tech, which initially was lightly recruiting Roberts, upped the ante on Wednesday when head coach Frank Beamer and defensive line coach Charley Wiles flew into the area to have a sit down in Gaston.

The Hokie coaches stopped in to to see Roberts after meeting with Hertford County lineman Tydreke Powell (6-feet-3, 295 pounds) Tuesday.

“Coach Beamer and coach Wiles came to campus around 4:30 yesterday (Wednesday),” Roberts said. “My mom and I, coach (Diego) Hasty, and coach (Al) Bennett all sat down in the library and talked for about 45 minutes. My mom wanted to find out about the academics at Tech and the graduation rate of football players.”

Based on the 2005 NCAA Graduation Success Rate, Virginia Tech finished sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in football at 72 percent, while N.C. State was last at 50 percent. Penn State, which has one of the top public school graduation rates, sits at 83 percent.

“I know a lot about the Tech football program already, so I really just wanted to hear about the academic side,” Roberts said. “The only thing left for me to do is see the campus on my visit (Jan. 26-28).”

Roberts will head to University Park, Pa., today to spend the weekend scoping out the Nittany Lions' campus and meeting with the coaches.

“I've talked to coach Paterno a few times on the phone and I'm looking forward to the trip,” Roberts said.

Wherever “D.C.” (as his friends call him) ends up, he hopes to get a degree in construction engineering or civil engineering. All three schools offer engineering programs.

Roberts has until National Signing Day on Feb. 7 to officially commit.