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Head Coach Tim DeRuyter spent the day conducting one-on-one player evaluations and was not made available for comment.
Saunders himself has not returned messages for comment. The Elk Grove, California native broke out last season as a sophomore, becoming Derek Carr's most dangerous downfield threat and earning first team All-WAC honors, as well as becoming a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver. But in Coach DeRuyter's new spread offense, Saunders has been moved to the slot, a position with shorter routes with less opportunities for big plays.
Now that Saunders has been granted a release from his scholarship, his stats from last year show just how big of a departure it is. The 12 receiving touchdowns led the WAC and his 21.4 yards per catch average was second in the nation.
Fresno State's full statement reads: "Fresno State Athletics has granted Bulldog wide receiver Jalen Saunders permission to contact specific institutions regarding his future as a student-athlete. Fresno State's policy is that student-athletes are not allowed to transfer to another school in the conference or to three other schools as decided by the head coach. Fresno State Athletics will have no further comment."
