All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. Here is a profile of receive Kaden Saunders.
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 172 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.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.2022: Saunders redshirted his first season at Penn State, playing in three of the team’s 13 games. He caught his first two collegiate passes in the team’s 46-10 home-opening win over Ohio in Week 2.
Where he stands: Penn State’s receivers room has a different look coming into the 2023 season.
Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley are gone, and aside from projected WR1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who’s entering his fourth season with the program, nobody whose expected to get playing time at receiver for Penn State played on last year’s team.
Dante Cephas (Kent State transfer) and Malik McClain (Florida State) both have solid chances to start, so despite his experience, getting playing time won’t be easy for Saunders. With that said, Wallace has an extra year under his belt and should be set to play a role whether he’s starting or not. He’s expected to be Penn State’s top slot receiver and is also likely to fill Washington’s role as the team’s No. 1 punt returner.
A quote from Saunders: “It was difficult. I missed home like crazy. But talking to my dad every day, he motivated me. I still text him when I need advice. He keeps my head on straight and tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.” — Saunders from this season’s second-year player media availability on the challenges of his first season at Penn State.
A quote about Saunders: “Kaden is one of the guys that, I like to think I get a lot of extra work in, but you see Kaden right in there with me on the tennis ball machines while I’m on JUGS, or, we’d switching, we’re doing it together. So Kaden’s work ethic, I feel like it is where it needs to be. He is gonna do the extra work that we need to do and I feel like he’s gonna help us this year and will be a big player for us this year.” — KeAndre Lambert-Smith on Saunders after this spring’s Blue-White Game.
