UH may get highly recruited QB

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

One of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation in 1999 is expected to transfer to the University of Hawai'i.

Zac Wasserman, a former Parade All-American who played for Penn State two years ago, has indicated he will join the Warriors in the fall.

Because of special circumstances, the NCAA has granted Wasserman four years to play three seasons for the Warriors.

Wasserman left Penn State last May after his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died in October, nearly a year after the death of his grandmother.

As a redshirt freshman last season, Wasserman played at Los Angeles Valley Community College, where he had some success despite having little time to adjust to the offense.

Wasserman has enough credits to earn an associate degree in May, a requirement for a junior-college transfer to play for an NCAA Division I-A team in the fall. Because of his family situation, the NCAA recently granted Wasserman a special waiver that, in essence, annulled his first year at Penn State.

When it was learned he would be eligible to play for a Division I-A team in the fall, Wasserman received several scholarship offers, but instead opted to contact the Warriors, who offered a recruiting visit. Wasserman, who is 6 feet 3 and 200 pounds, returns to California today.

As a high school senior in 1999, Wasserman received offers from Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee, Arizona State and Texas A&E.

The Warriors will have three quarterbacks — senior Shawn Withy-Allen, redshirt freshman Jeff Rhode and junior-college transfer Jeff Whieldon — in spring practice, which begins Monday. Sophomore quarterback Tim Chang is recovering from wrist surgery and will not be available until training camp.