Texas A&M transfer DB Donovan Saunders signs with Utah

Texas A&M transfer defensive back Donovan Saunders has signed with Utah, On3’s Pete Nakos reports. Saunders played only one season with the Aggies after spending the first two years of his college career at Cal Poly.

The 6-foot-3 cornerback played in only two games this past year in College Station as he took a redshirt. He recorded two tackles in those appearances and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Utes.

Saunders was a coveted piece out of the transfer portal after recording 17 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 2023 at Cal Poly. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out at A&M, but he’ll look to pick up where he left off from that season with Utah in 2025.

Saunders played high school football at Cathedral Catholic in San Diego, California, where he was unranked in the 2022 cycle. However, he now ranks as the No. 79 safety in the transfer portal according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

Utah is coming off of a 5-7 finish to this season after being picked to win the Big 12 in the preseason. The Utes were still a top five passing defense in the conference and will look to keep that up with better results in the standings next year.

Donovan Saunders is the fifth player to sign with Utah in the transfer portal this offseason so far. However, the Utes have also seen four times that many leave, as 20 players have exited the program.

That being the case, expect them to remain aggressive for as long as the portal remains open.

The transfer portal officially opened Dec. 7 and will remain open until Dec. 28, though players on teams still playing in the postseason will get an additional five-day window to enter the portal after their seasons end.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.