No wonder the more than 20 college coaches attending the Game Plan Football Camp felt like the penniless kid in a crack-seed store.

They could watch, coach and provide advice, but not offer scholarships or make sales pitches to the state's top three high school quarterbacks — Pac-Five's Bryson Beirne, Punahou's Brett Kan and Leilehua's Bryant Moniz.

"It's a dead period (for recruiting)," UH coach June Jones said.

Still, the coaches marveled at the skill of the three quarterbacks during passing drills. Not only are they accomplished passers, but the three incoming high school seniors already have earned qualifying SAT scores to play as NCAA freshmen in 2007.

"I passed the (NCAA) Clearinghouse," said Moniz, who took the SAT as a junior last December.

Kan's cumulative grade-point average is 3.9.

Last month, Beirne accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Arizona. "I'm done," he said of the recruiting process. "I'm going to Arizona."

Other schools might not be ready to exit the competition. Beirne is expected to be recruited until Feb. 7, the first day high school seniors may sign binding national letters of intent.

The three quarterbacks used the camp to hone their techniques and quell concerns. Beirne, who is 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the second game and did not play the rest of the 2005 season.

"It was a tough eight months of rehab," Beirne said. "I thought I wouldn't play again. I'm glad I'm doing it, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to go to college for free."

Kan has had a busy summer, attending two Elite 11 camps and the Nike Combine. He also has attended camps on the Stanford, Boston College, California and Oregon State campuses. He said his dream would be to attend Stanford or Cal, but "I really want to play Division I football wherever I can."

Kan, who is 6 feet 2 and 187 pounds, has received tips from Dan Morrison, the camp's co-director and UH's quarterback coach. "He gave me some good tips about my release," Kan said. "I'm working on my release point and getting my hand all the way through (on the passing motion) instead of stopping it short."

He also said he has improved his arm strength since the 2005 state championship game.

Concern about his deep throws "was one of the big things people said about me last year," he said. "I don't think that's an issue anymore, in my mind. It can always get better (but) I think I can play at that level with my arm strength."

Moniz, who is 5 feet 10 and 170 pounds, led Leilehua to the state title game in 2004. He said he has received letters from colleges, but "no (scholarship) offers yet."

Yesterday, Moniz distributed his highlight DVD, which he co-produced during a cinema-tech class at Leilehua. "A few people helped me put it together," he said.

During passing drills, he worked on his footwork. Leilehua's offense requires quarterbacks to pass out of a three-step drop. "I worked on the five-step drops, and that was very helpful," he said. "It's a good thing to learn."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.