This big-time quarterback prospect from Pennsylvania, who has collected close to 20 scholarship offers already, has plenty of interest in Clemson.

Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.) signal-caller Stone Saunders – a 6-foot-2, 200-pound rising junior in the class of 2025 – is very high on Clemson and made his way to campus as an unofficial visitor for the Louisville game this past November. It was his first-ever trip to Tiger Town.

“I went down for a visit, I think it was the Louisville game I was at, and the coaches were great to me,” Saunders said to The Clemson Insider recently. “It was a great environment, a great experience for me and my family. It’s a super cool area. Great campus, great gameday experiences, and I love the coaches. So, it’s been good building my relationship with (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) coach (Brandon) Streeter and all them.”

Saunders envisions Clemson as a potential good fit, given the similarities between the Tigers’ offense and the one he leads at Bishop McDevitt. He also believes he could develop as a quarterback under Streeter and the Tigers’ staff.

“They do a lot of the stuff that I do at my high school already, the RPOs and all that. So, it would just be an easy transition,” he said. “And they’re great at developing quarterbacks, like Trevor Lawrence and all them. So yeah, I can definitely see them developing me.”

Saunders earned a prestigious accolade last week when he was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Pennsylvania Football Player of the Year. He led Bishop McDevitt to a 13-1 record and the Class 4A state championship this past season, throwing for 3,583 yards and 54 touchdowns, including a championship game-record five TD throws in McDevitt’s 41-18 win over Aliquippa High to capture the title.

“That was awesome for sure. I didn’t expect it, just because it’s usually like a senior thing,” Saunders said of the Gatorade Player of the Year honor. “But once I got the news that I got it, I was super excited, and my family got to tell me. It was really cool, and I was super grateful for everybody that helped me get to the point I was. I was the first sophomore to ever get it in Pennsylvania, so it was super cool.”

A 2021 Class 4A First Team All-State selection, Saunders concluded his sophomore year with 100 touchdown passes in his prep football career. He sees his arm strength and ability to process things quickly on the field as a couple of his biggest assets as a quarterback.

“My coaches always tell me that my ability to read is like a college quarterback, just getting through my reads and all that and processing what the defense is throwing at me,” he said. “That, and I have a strong arm for my age. I can throw about 70 yards, so it’s pretty good, and I’ll just keep getting bigger and faster and I’ll just keep working out. So, just keep developing as the years go on.”

Saunders’ offer list includes schools like Georgia, Michigan, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Maryland, among many others.

What is he looking for in a school as he goes through the recruiting process?

“Obviously great campus and all that, great football facilities,” he said. “But it’s really just about the coaches that can develop me when I’ll get to college. Obviously I’ve got to keep processing and growing while I’m in high school. But when I get to college, who can really develop me into the greatest player that I can be is the biggest thing for me when I get to college.”

Saunders anticipates returning to Clemson for another visit this offseason.

“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “I think I’m going down in the spring or somewhere around there.”

As for an offer from Clemson, should Saunders receive one in the future, he says that “would definitely impact my recruitment.”

“I love the school and I love all the coaches and the facilities and everything like that, and my family loved everything about it,” he said. “So, it would definitely change my recruiting and I would definitely be super interested if they would offer me. Hopefully that’s coming down the road soon.”

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