Top 2019 QB set to see whiteout

Penn State will host one of its top quarterback targets in the Class of 2019 this upcoming weekend in Charlotte native Garrett Shrader.

A four-star prospect and member of the Rivals250, the 6-foot-4, 200 pound signal-caller earned a scholarship offer from head coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead following an excellent performance at their first Elite Prospect Camp in the beginning of June. He then returned to workout with Moorhead again at the staff’s Underclassmen Combine in July, and the two have been regularly communicating ever since.

“I started talking to him a few weeks before I came up to camp, so some time back in May or June,” said Shrader. “Since then, we’ve been talking pretty regularly. I’d say at least once a week, especially when you include (direct messaging) on Twitter. I wished him congratulations this week when I saw they moved up to second in the nation.

He added, “Me and Coach Moorhead have the same sense of humor. I enjoy being around him and talking to him. He’s a good person and a great coach.”

In addition to working with Moorhead, Shrader has also been able to watch his offense in action this season.

“I watched their Iowa game. That was a crazy game, a crazy ending. I know they run the spread, which is basically exactly what I do back at home. They have two Heisman contenders (Barkley & McSorley) on their team, so it’ll be fun to see them in-person.”

With that said, this will be Shrader’s first opportunity to not only see Moorhead’s offense in-person, but also see the atmosphere in and around Beaver Stadium.

“I’ve heard a lot,” Shrader said, when asked what he knew about the whiteout and atmosphere inside Beaver Stadium. “I know it’s the second largest stadium in the country. They fit a lot of people in there, especially for the whiteout games. I’ve seen the pictures and videos of the whiteout. It looks really cool.”

So far this season, Shrader has been able to visit Louisville, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. He said that Penn State, South Carolina and Louisville are the three schools recruiting him the hardest, while Oregon and TCU are two additional programs that haven’t offered yet but are showing more and more interest in recent weeks.

Through seven games this season, Shrader has thrown for 1,421 yards. He's competing 68 percent of his passes and has scored 16 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. He's also second on the team in rushing, adding another 469 yards on the ground, scoring eight touchdowns.