Penn State has surged into the national recruiting conversation for five-star quarterback Elijah Haven, the Rivals Industry’s top-ranked passer in the 2027 class.
The Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School standout and his family traveled to Happy Valley for the White Out matchup against Oregon, and the visit ended with the Nittany Lions extending an offer.
The stop may have come later in the process compared with SEC powers, but the impression was strong enough to make Penn State a serious factor.
With Alabama, LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Auburn all pushing for Haven, the question now is whether James Franklin’s program can position itself ahead of the competition.
White Out visit vaults Nittany Lions into mix for No.1 ranked Elijah Haven
The White Out experience resonated immediately with Haven’s father, Kwame.
“Oh yes for sure,” he said when asked if Penn State is now a contender. “They made a great first impression. Just the way the staff and Coach (James) Franklin carry themselves and all that made us feel really special. Made us feel like that could be a place Elijah could grow and thrive.”
Kwame added that it was the family’s first trip to State College.
“It was a really good visit,” he said. “It was cool. That was our first time up there. It’s one thing to see it and hear it on TV. It was a great atmosphere. You can tell it’s a special place.”
The family has already begun discussing another visit with the staff.
“They’re later in the recruiting process with Elijah than other schools are but they did a really good job and went a long way with us and it resonated with us that they spent that amount of time with us on game day and showed Elijah what they have to offer. It was really cool,” Kwame said.
Penn State’s stability under Franklin, along with its quarterback pedigree, stood out.
“James Franklin has built a program that has won at a very high level for a long time,” Kwame explained. He pointed to quarterback coach Danny O’Brien and the presence of Trace McSorley as positives. “The facilities, all of it was top-notch. I was pleasantly surprised by it all.”
Haven has already taken in a game at LSU and will be at Florida this weekend. The family also plans stops at Alabama for the LSU game, Georgia for the Texas matchup, and Auburn for the Iron Bowl.
Ranked No. 15 overall nationally, Haven has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards and 19 touchdowns in four games this fall, adding 335 rushing yards and three more scores.