Penn State football's wide receiver room just got a little smaller. It was reported by Blue White Illustrated that redshirt junior Kaden Saunders sustained a long-term injury, which usually entails the player being sidelined for the whole season though it's not yet official how much time the wide receiver will miss.
According to the report, Saunders will "miss extended time with long-term injury," so it should be expected that he misses a majority, if not all, of 2025.
Penn State is without veteran wide receiver Kaden Saunders ahead of the 2025 season due to a long-term injury. The Nittany Lions started camp without Saunders earlier this week.
— Blue White Illustrated (@PennStateOn3) August 2, 2025
Link: https://t.co/xzLIjOnXzO pic.twitter.com/JUirQXYJs6
While transfers Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross, and Kyron Hudson were heading into the 2025 season as the main wide receiver targets, Saunders early exit is disheartening given his injury struggles last year.
He had a rough preseason and was injured one month into the 2024 season, leaving him off the field for all offensive snaps and only making four appearances as a punt returner.
"It was tough, because that was my first time ever not being with the team on away games," Saunders said in February, according to Lions247. "I would talk to my dad, and it would get to me mentally a little bit having to be at home and watching the games on TV. Because I've never done that before. I've always traveled with the team. I had to deal with that."
In the spring, he was only cleared to run routes, but said he felt he was in a good place to put 2024 behind him. Saunders was focused on getting back on the coaching staff's radar and the depth chart, even though the wide receiver four spot was his only hope with the three transfers coming in. However, he'll have to wait another year to make an impact on the field for the Nittany Lions.
When recruited, Saunders was a four-star and the No. 77 overall prospect from the class of 2022. He was the fifth top recruit from Ohio and 12th ranked wide receiver in the country. However, his time with Penn State has been bumpy since arriving and he hasn't had the opportunity in four seasons (now including 2025) to showcase his talents.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Saunders appeared in 12 games on offense and special teams, playing 140 offensive snaps. While also being the team's primary punt returner in the first five games, he recorded six catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. On special teams, he returned 14 punts for 86 yards. The wide receiver played 140 offensive snaps of his collegiate career 172 total including the 32 snaps he played as a true freshman.