Former Penn State football wide receiver Kaden Saunders is transferring to Southern Mississippi, per a recent post on his Instagram. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Saunders was one of the highest-rated recruits in a historic Class of 2022, being ranked the No. 55 overall recruit and No. 7 wide receiver in the country out of Westerville, Ohio, according to the 247Sports Composite. He committed early to Penn State, locking in his commitment in June 2020.

The former four-star recruit appeared in just three games as a true freshman in 2022 as classmates Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and Drew Allar shed their redshirts en route to memorable collegiate careers. Saunders spent time at punt returner and backup receiver in 2023 and seemed poised to take a bigger role heading into 2024, but he got injured in early October and missed the remainder of the season.

An injury during camp prior to this season caused him to miss the entire 2025 season as well. He returned to practice during the team’s bowl prep, but stayed out of action and entered the transfer portal shortly after.

In 19 games as a Nittany Lion, Saunders caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown came on the road against Ohio State in 2023, the most recent receiving touchdown Penn State has had against the Buckeyes. He also returned 17 punts for 113 yards.

He heads to the Sun Belt to play under new head coach Blake Anderson.