Penn State will host prospects inside of Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2019 on Saturday, and a pair of Class of 2022 verbal commitments can't wait to be part of the experience.
Westerville, Ohio four-star receiver Kaden Saunders and Downingtown West four-star offensive tackle Drew Shelton are among the handful of future Nittany Lions who will be in town for this year's home opener, and both are looking forward to putting their phones down and having face-to-face interactions as they did during the summer while also taking in everything a vibrant State College has to offer on game day.
"I’m excited to just be back in the environment in general with all of the fans back in the stadium," Saunders told BWI.
For Shelton, it will be the first Penn State home game he attends. Saunders, on the other hand, took an unofficial visit in 2019 for the team's win over Indiana.
"I'm excited to see the actual game and atmosphere that surrounds it," Shelton said. "Growing up in Pennsylvania, it's all I ever heard about, but I have never been to a game so I'm excited to experience my first one.
The opener's visitor list is almost always a bit smaller than most home games, and that's mainly due to the fact that it's early in the year and better opponents are on the schedule down the road. The Cardinals are the MAC favorites, however, and a good matchup is expected by many despite the fact that the Nittany Lions are a 22.5-point favorite ahead of the 3:30 p.m. kickoff on Fox Sports One, which helps the list some.
That said, many recruits who could come to State College either this week or next will simply decide to wait seven days and enjoy the Whiteout game experience, which is a must-visit for commits and uncommitted recruits alike across the country. In other words, Auburn following the home opener impacts this week's prospect group.
Saunders and Shelton are not worried about that, however, as they're just looking forward to the chance to attend a 'family reunion,' as James Franklin calls home games, before officially joining the Penn State program once the early National Signing Day is here in December.
"I know some of the guys are getting up there and it'll be good to see them again but I can't wait for the Whiteout when we are all back up there together," Shelton said.
Added Saunders:
"I can’t wait to see all of the guys."
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