Saunders is a St. Louis native who showed FBS-level talent as soon as he hit the field as a redshirt freshman. He posted 27 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 13 games as a reserve in 2015. He started all 11 games as a sophomore, posting 48 stops, five for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. Missouri Valley Football coaches named him first-team all-conference in 2017, as he started all 12 games and accumulated 57 tackles, 12 for loss, a team-high 7.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. In 2018 he was named AP FCS second-team All-American.