Saunders looking to show offensive versatility

Saunders looking to show offensive versatility
Mavin Saunders.

Former Florida State University (FSU) tight end Mavin Saunders said he is looking to have a greater impact on the field this year with the Kansas Jayhwaks.

Saunders, who is frequently described as just a good athlete said, he hopes he can show more of his IQ for the game of football, and that he is more of a skilled player than he is given credit for.

Kansas is best known for its basketball team, which has won several national titles. However, Saunders said he feels it’s time for the football program to take a step to the forefront.

“I know it is an up-and-coming program and that’s why I wanted to visit,” Saunders said.

“When I had a chance to meet Coach Beaty and all of the other coaches, I could tell it was a family atmosphere. They care about more thing than football. The most important thing was the family atmosphere. They showed me the blueprint on how they would use me and helping the team.”

Saunders was best known for his blocking ability at FSU. As a sophomore, he began to get more passes thrown in his direction, but after a coaching change during his junior year, he found himself doing more blocking than catching.

“The KU coaches said they liked how I can cause some mismatch problems,” Saunders added.

“They liked my ability to make plays on offense and help protect the quarterback and all of the things that a tight end is supposed to do. I just want to do whatever it takes to win games.”

After posting career-highs in receptions (10) and total yards (182), Saunders went without a catch last season.

The 6’5”, 220-pound tight end, is already enrolled and on campus, which gives him an opportunity to learn the offense in spring football.

Saunders committed to Florida State during his junior season in high school with the Kinkaid Falcons in Houston, Texas. He elected to go to Florida State over nine other National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I schools.

About Randy Smith

Randy Smith is the producer of the widely-watched local television show “Beyond The Headlines” and the web content manager of Eyewitness News. He joined Eyewitness News as a sportscaster in 2018, a role he still performs, and has previously covered a slew of international sporting events, including the 2015 Pan American Games, the Nike EYBL Showcase, several IAAF World Relays, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the Commonwealth Youth Games, the Bahamas Bowl and multiple CARIFTA Swimming and Track & Field Championships. Randy has been recognized by the Bahamas Press Club with awards for “Best Sports Broadcast” as a sportscaster and “Best TV Talk Show” as a producer.