Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State was well-represented at this year's national high school all-star games. Overall, nine of the Nittany Lions' 22 high school signees in the class of 2022 were invited to at least one of the three national games: the Under Armour All- America Game, the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. Here's a look at how those future Lions fared in their final on-field appearances before heading to Penn State: UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME JAN. 2 | ORLANDO, FLA. The Under Armour game was the first of the three all-star contests. It featured three of Penn State's four-star signees: running back Kaytron Allen of Norfolk, Va., wide receiver Kaden Saunders of Columbus, Ohio, and offensive lineman Drew Shelton of Downingtown, Pa. Saunders wasn't able to put in as much work in Orlando as his future Penn State teammates. At the end of the first practice, Saunders, the nation's 109th- ranked player, suffered a minor hamstring injury. Because he was enrolling at PSU just two weeks later, he elected to play it safe and sit out the rest of the week so that the setback wouldn't impact his ability to participate in winter workouts. Despite missing most of the Under Armour practices, as well as the game itself, he managed to impress scouts at On3 and elsewhere. "Kaden Saunders got off to a quick start with a strong showing on Day 1," said Charles Power, On3's director of scouting and rankings. "You can see the high-end quickness in drills and one-on-one [sessions]. I thought his ball skills were pretty good, too. Saunders missed the rest of the week with an injury, so we only got to see that small sample, but I thought he looked good from the little bit we did see." Allen, who played his high school football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., was the one who really stole the show on game day, totaling a game-high 71 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also picked up multiple first-down conversions that proved crucial at different points in the game. "Kaytron Allen was a riser for us in the last rankings update due to a strong senior season. He continued to look the part in Orlando," Power said. "Running back can be a bit tough to gauge in noncontact practices, but I thought Allen had a good showing in the game. He's a tough between-the-tackles runner. Seeing Allen in person helps contextualize what makes him successful. He has a thick build and plays with good power and leg drive. Allen also has nice feet for a bigger back." Shelton didn't end up starting for Team Icons, but he was one of the most consistent offensive linemen during the game. "I thought Shelton moved pretty well," Power said. "He has a nice frame and should continue to add some mass once he gets into Penn State's strength program. I think the biggest thing with Shelton is the need to continue adding play strength." BWI's Thomas Frank Carr also gave his thoughts on Shelton, noting that he filled in some blanks in the scouting report that analysts had assembled prior to his signing with Penn State in December. "Of all of the all-star game participants, we probably learned the most about Penn State Prospects Shine In All-Star Games Four players in Penn State's 2022 recruiting class participated in the All-American Bowl on Jan. 8 in San Antonio: (left to right) linebacker Keon Wylie, running back Nick Singleton, quarterback Drew Allar and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER