Penn State football recruit Drew Shelton makes an impact in basketball with an assist from James Franklin

Just a few weeks removed from signing his national letter of intent to play football at Penn State, Drew Shelton slammed down a dunk in Downingtown West’s Jan. 11 victory over West Chester East.

For those used to seeing the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Shelton man the offensive tackle spot for the Whippets’ football team, it was a sight that almost required a double take. But while seeing Shelton on the basketball court so close to the start of his Penn State football career might have surprised some, it was no shock to the Nittany Lions coaching staff. In fact, the idea came straight from head coach James Franklin.

“I had talks with Coach Franklin,” Shelton said. “When I decided I wasn’t going to enroll early, it really seemed like basketball was the next best option to keep in shape almost as a replacement for winter workouts.

“He actually urged me to play basketball to stay in shape and just have fun with it throughout [my] senior year.”

Shelton was no stranger to the hardwood. Before he was a four-star offensive tackle and one of Penn State’s top signees in the 2022 class, he was also a member of Downingtown West’s basketball program. The same athleticism that helped him skyrocket up recruiting rankings as a junior caught the attention of Whippets basketball coach Stuart Ross, who first met Shelton when he was still in middle school.

“He was one of our kids that we targeted when he was in middle school,” Ross said. “We wanted to make sure that he stayed home and played at West because he had opportunities to go to different schools.”

For his freshman and sophomore seasons, Shelton did stay home, playing both football and basketball. But after two years, Shelton’s football stock was rising, and he headed down to Florida to train at IMG Academy. Training at IMG meant focusing entirely on football, and for Shelton’s junior year, basketball was left behind.

But when it came time to decide whether to return to IMG, Shelton opted to return home and finish his high school career at Downingtown West. He starred at offensive tackle for the Whippets, signed with Penn State, and played in the Under Armour All-American Game. What wasn’t expected, however, was that Shelton would become a key cog in Downingtown West’s success on the basketball court.

“I wasn’t sure how he was going to be for basketball because I’m sure he wasn’t playing much basketball at IMG,” Ross said. “He was definitely a pleasant surprise and definitely been able to become an important player for us, going from being a sixth or seventh man to a starter and playing a really big role.”

Despite taking a year off from competitive basketball, and despite returning as an offensive lineman with much more size than he had as an underclassman, Shelton didn’t miss a beat.

“I feel like IMG definitely helped with his maturity, definitely helped with his body, being able to turn him into a Division I athlete,” Ross said. “I think that is probably the biggest thing that helped him have success. … We’re talking about a high-level, Power 5 conference athlete.”

Shelton also returned to Downingtown West with a renewed passion and competitiveness that made him enter this season determined to make the most of his final months as a high school athlete.

“I’m a competitor at heart, and I really just want to get out here and compete, have fun, put my team in the best position they can be,” Shelton said. “It’s just fun out ther.e … I grew up with all these kids. [I’m] having fun almost worry-free, but not really, because still, at the end of the day, we want to win games.”

Shelton and his team have capitalized on that competitiveness so far this season, with Downingtown West winning the Ches-Mont National Division regular-season title. What started out as a fun way for Shelton to stay in shape over the winter has turned into a chance for him to make a postseason run with his teammates.

“We’ve been so close when I was here,” Shelton said. “My freshman and sophomore year, [we] achieved some great things. We’ve had some pretty talented teams, and I feel like we can accomplish all that stuff that we’ve talked about all four years this year, and it’s just going to be fun to be a part of that.”

When Shelton is sporting his No. 44 Downingtown West jersey, he blends right in with his other teammates. But as a blue-chip recruit and future major-college football player, Shelton has a situation that’s a bit different than those of his teammates. It’s something that Ross considers as Shelton’s coach, and he has experience in balancing team goals with a player whose athletic future extends to the next level.

Before he was Shelton’s coach, Ross coached Will Howard, a three-star quarterback recruit and 1,000-point scorer for the Whippets who’s now a quarterback at Kansas State.

“I didn’t put any pressure on [Shelton] because I know what goes into being a high-level football player, having experienced that with Will Howard and his whole process going through it,” Ross said. “Having gone through it with Will, it definitely gave me a blueprint on how to handle certain situations.”

Although it was uncertain at first how Franklin’s plan for Shelton to play basketball would work out, most in the Whippets program would agree it has been a success. Downingtown West is winning, and Shelton figures to be a key part in the team’s chances at continuing those winning ways.

In a few months, Shelton will leave the hardwood behind and turn his attention back to the gridiron. He will work under Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and figures to compete for first-team reps at tackle right away.

“My main focus is basketball right now and just living in the moment,” Shelton said. “[I’m] not going to be able to play much basketball once I get to Penn State, [so] now it’s just having fun with it.”