Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | L 20-48vs UConn | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | Season-high 8 yds |
#7
Kaden Saunders
Junior wide receiver for Southern Miss. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 175 lb · Columbus, OH · Westerville South HS
Transferred Penn State → Southern Miss for 2026
The numbers
8
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 rec, 8 yds, vs UConn
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior wide receiver for Southern Miss. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Penn State in 2022.
- Transferred from Penn State to Southern Miss in 2026.
Kaden Saunders
Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: James Franklin and Blake Anderson. One game to point at: 8 rec yds, 1 receptions against UConn — Week 3, 2026.
8 REC YDS · 1 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Penn State4-star out of Westerville South
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coaches2022–2023
Southern Miss
2024era →
Reed Stringer
Southern Miss
Played under 3 different head coaches: Will Hall, Reed Stringer, and Blake Anderson. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Southern Miss
2025Penn State
2026Southern Miss
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Penn State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Penn State | 6 | 56 | 9.3 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Penn State | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 9 | 85 | 9.4 | 1 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Southern Miss | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Penn State | -- | -- | -- | 25 | -- |
| 2023 | Penn State | -- | -- | -- | 88 | -- |
| 2022 | Penn State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | -- | -- | -- | 113 | -- |
Game log
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Penn State11-2HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
2023Penn State10-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
2024Penn State13-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning
2026Southern Miss1-2HC: Blake Anderson · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 REC/g, 8.0 YDS/g, 8.0 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Anderson
Pass share
52.7%
127 pass / 114 run
Plays / game
80.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.5%
121 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Background
2025 (R-Jr.): Did not see any action…2024 (R-So.): Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors…Appeared in four games as a punt returner before missing the rest of the season due to injury...Had 25 punt return yards on four returns…Had a 23-yard punt return versus Kent State (9/21)…2023 (R-Fr.): Earned…
The receiver room · Southern Miss
- #9Elijah Metcalf683 receiving yards · 2025
- #7Carl Chester550 receiving yards · 2025
- #6Micah Davis429 receiving yards · 2025
- #8Bralon Brown353 receiving yards · 2025
- #7Kaden Saunders1 game · 2026
17 more on the roster · Southern Miss team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology