One day in November, a message arrived in Joseph "Ju-Ju" Clayton's physics class at Hermitage High: Clayton was to be excused to meet with Virginia Tech recruiting coordinator Jim Cavanaugh.

Clayton wondered what this was about, though he had his suspicions. They were confirmed when Cavanaugh took him to Hermitage's field house and offered him a scholarship.

"It had caught me by surprise when they first offered me," Clayton said yesterday, shortly after he accepted the offer.

Clayton, a 6-2, 205-pound quarterback, also had offers from Army and three Division I-AA schools: William and Mary, Norfolk State and Youngstown State. He was The Times-Dispatch All-Metro player of the year last season.

He likely will enroll next January, though he is scheduled to sign a letter of intent Feb. 6 with Tech's class of 2008, which now includes 25 committed players, including 18 from the state of Virginia.

Tech next season also likely will have four players who originally signed last year.

Defensive tackle Courtney Prince and linebacker Alonzo Tweedy (Hermitage) enrolled this month - a process known as grayshirting, because Tech can count their scholarships toward the 2007 or 2008 class. Linebacker Quillie Odom and multipurpose player Kendrick Pressley played for Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham last fall to improve their grades.

Clayton grayshirting could help Tech's quarterback situation. After next season, Tyrod Taylor, a freshman last fall, will be the Hokies' only scholarship quarterback. Taylor split time last season with rising senior Sean Glennon.

Cory Holt, a rising senior, recently asked coach Frank Beamer if he could switch from quarterback to wide receiver, Beamer said yesterday. The Hokies must replace their top four receivers from last season.

"I think we'll always want to keep him working at quarterback to be a guy at that position, too," Beamer said. "We've got to see what happens between Sean and Tyrod in spring practice, and after that, we'll decided exactly where we are and what we'll do."

Clayton was surprised Tech offered him a scholarship because before his senior season, his only offers were from Army and William and Mary. "I had something to rely on, if anything," he said.

A two-year starter, he didn't shine until his senior year, when he completed 153 of 255 passes for 2,117 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ran for 274 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Panthers to an 11-2 record and their first Central Region championship since 1984.

"Unfortunately, the recruiting game is done so early now . . . that kids who really come on strong their senior year, they have a hard time getting [colleges] to look at the film, especially a position like quarterback," Hermitage coach Patrick Kane said.

Clayton said he's talked to Tweedy about grayshirting and training during the fall before enrolling in January. Clayton, who said he has a 3.0 grade-point average, might take a couple classes at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in the fall, "just so I can have my brain to function," he said.

He is the third local senior to commit to Tech this school year, joining wide receiver D.J. Coles (Goochland), defensive end Antoine Hopkins (Highland Springs). Other recent Tech players from Hermitage include left tackle Duane Brown, a senior last season, and linebacker Andrew Bowman, a rising senior.