All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. Here is a profile of wide receiver Kaden Saunders.
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 178-pounds
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Before Penn State: Saunders was a two-time team captain for Westerville South High School.
As a senior in 2021, he caught 38 passes for 392 yards, ran the ball 28 times for 324 yards, gained 294 yards on 10 kickoff returns and 165 yards on 12 punt returns.
As a junior, Saunders caught 47 passes for 948 yards, ran the ball eight times carries for 117 yards and gained 381 yards on 16 punt returns.
Sanders reached four-star recruit status on Rivals.com, On 3, 247Sports and ESPN. He was ranked No. 30 in the nation by ESPN, as well as the No. 4 receiver and the number two recruit in his state.
Where He Stands: As a true freshman, Saunders will likely be behind Parker Washington, Mitchell Tinsley and KeAndre Lambert-Smith on the depth chart.
Saunders will be battling Malick Meiga, Omari Evans and Tyler Johnson. However, he could be used for gadget plays due in part to his experience running the ball in high school, and Saunders can also fill the shoes of Jahan Dotson on punt returns.
Quotes about Saunders:
Westerville Christ High School coach Matthew Christ spoke to Blue and White Illustrated about Saunders upon his singing with Penn State.
“Kaden has been a playmaker since game one of his freshman year,” Christ said. “Kaden is an incredibly explosive and elusive football player. He has grown tremendously as a competitor, leader and student-athlete over the past four years. We feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and mentor him along the way.”
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