UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno could name a starting quarterback for Saturday's home opener as early as today.

Either way, Paterno said he plans to play all three quarterbacks -- sophomore Kevin Newsome, redshirt sophomore Matt McGloin, a former walk-on, and true freshman Robert Bolden -- against Youngstown State.

"We'll probably make up our mind in the next day or two as to who will start, but we'll probably play a couple of kids," Paterno said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. "You just don't know what you're going to get, because none of them have been under a lot of pressure. So we'll see what happens.

"We're trying to just not put too much pressure on any single one of them. ... They can all throw the football. They're big enough. And you would hope that eventually they're going to be fine quarterbacks.

"Whether they're going to be able to get that done with the schedule we're playing, that's a tough call right now."

Wide receiver Brett Brackett, who was elected a team captain in a vote conducted by the players, along with defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu, said all three quarterbacks have been making progress since the start of preseason camp.

"I think the reason we haven't named a quarterback yet is because they've all been doing extremely well," said Brackett, who was recruited as a quarterback. "I think the competition has really made each one of them step up their game, as leaders, as players, and it's really been a good thing for our team.

"I think the coaches really have a tough decision on who's going to be the guy. We've been working with all three of them equally on first-team reps pretty much ever since it started. I feel like we have a pretty comfortable situation with whoever they decided to go with."

Paterno said a fourth quarterback, true freshman Paul Jones from Sto-Rox High School, was eliminated from the race a few weeks ago due to academic issues.

Jones, who enrolled at Penn State in January after graduating early from high school, was rated the No. 2 prep quarterback in the country last season by Scout.com. And he was the star of Penn State's Blue-White Game this spring, throwing two touchdown passes.

But now Jones is targeted for a redshirt season.

"Jones had a bad start academically," Paterno said.

He said Jones is "a good kid" who is doing "all right" academically. But, Paterno added, "I'm a little nervous about it."

The quarterbacks weren't the only ones making news Tuesday.

Paterno said Chaz Powell recently moved from cornerback, where he was listed as a starter on the final preseason depth chart released Sunday, back to wide receiver because of injuries.

Powell, who also returns kickoffs, made nine starts last season as a wideout for the Nittany Lions, catching 28 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns.

"It seems like, if anything, putting him on defense made him a better wideout," Brackett said. "He looks real good back on offense and hasn't missed a beat."

Paterno moved Powell back to offense because wide receiver Curtis Drake has a broken leg, tight end Andrew Szczerba hasn't practiced due to a bad back and backup tailback Stephfon Green has a minor neck injury. Szczerba has been ruled out of the game Saturday, while Green is questionable.

Paterno said the prolonged injury to Szczerba, projected as the team's starting tight end, has been puzzling.

"It's not good," Paterno said. "He hasn't practiced one play. I don't know when they're going to let him go."

Paterno said he believes tailback Evan Royster, who needs 481 yards this season to break the school's career rushing record, needs to drop some weight.

"Evan Royster is a little heavy," Paterno said. "He's about 220. And I keep telling him that he's not going to have the kind of endurance he needs unless he loses some weight. But he knows what's going on. And he's a good back."

Paterno, who lost weight after battling gastrointestinal issues this spring and summer, said he plans to be on the sideline for every game.

"I'll be on the field," he said. "I haven't missed one play in practice. And I don't intend to miss any games, any plays."

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