Penn State took a big step toward beefing up its future front four this past weekend.

Defensive linemen Evan Hailes and DaQuan Jones -- rated four-star recruits by Scout.com -- gave verbal commitments to Penn State coach Joe Paterno at a football camp for seniors on campus.

That raises the Nittany Lions' total to 10 recruits for the class of 2010, and half of those are from Western Pennsylvania.

Hailes, 6 feet 1, 303 pounds, is from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va.

A two-time all-state pick who had 11 sacks last season while leading his school to the Group AAA Division 6 state championship, Hailes picked Penn State over Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Tennessee and LSU.

Jones (6-4, 300) is from Johnson City, N.Y. He also had offers from Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers and Connecticut.

Five WPIAL players verbally have committed to Penn State for 2010.

They include linebacker Mike Hull (Canon-McMillan), quarterback Paul Jones (Sto-Rox) and offensive linemen Luke Graham (Penn-Trafford), Miles Dieffenbach (Fox Chapel) and Tom Ricketts (North Allegheny).