After a breakout season in 2023, Treyvhon Saunders wants to take the next step this year.

There are coaches and teammates who helped Treyvhon Saunders ’26 become a better football player. But only one person made such an impact on Saunders that he honored her with the No. 9 on his jersey.

That person was his mother, Nicole Saunders, who passed away on May 9, 2019 after a battle with ALS. 

Treyvhon Saunders, the dynamic Colgate wide receiver, was wrapping up another year at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio, at the time of her death. 

After wearing the No. 14 during the previous season, he made the switch and kept the number through high school. When he arrived at Colgate in August 2022 to begin his college career, his head coach, Stan Dakosty, asked him to choose his number.

“I wanted to dedicate my number and what I’m doing to my mom,” he said. “I talked to Coach Dakosty before I began my first semester. He understood my story and understood the meaning of what the number has to me, so he granted me the number and I’m truly thankful for that.”

As Nicole Saunders struggled with ALS, she never allowed the disease to ruin her mood, Treyvhon Saunders said. Even in the toughest of times, she kept her spirits high. It made a lasting impact on her son.

“I watched and heard her in pain without her complaining once,” Treyvhon Saunders said. “It made me mentally stronger and I realized that if she can endure pain while keeping a smile on her face, I can easily endure workouts, practice, games. It gave me a different perspective that allowed me to push through pain while keeping my head high.”

In the hours before Nicole Saunders passed away, she and Treyvhon Saunders talked football. 

“We were talking about me going to the NFL,” he said. “I want to make it with her watching over me, being insanely proud of me. So yes, she did inspire me to become a better player, but also a better person.”

Treyvhon Saunders, a junior, has done plenty to make his family proud since first putting on the maroon-and-white Colgate jersey. 

As a sophomore in 2023, he emerged as Colgate’s primary weapon on offense. He finished the season by catching 68 passes for 859 yards with four touchdowns. He led the team with receptions and receiving yards, and piled up a career high 132 receiving yards on two occasions.

Heading into the 2024 season, he made Preseason All-Patriot League. He was also named one of five team captains after a team vote. For Saunders, earning the captain’s role was a major achievement.

“When you look at the captains, it’s seniors,” he said. “I’m the only junior. It shows that people respect me and trust me to lead this team, even though I’m not the oldest in the locker room.”

Saunders lives and breathes football. He approaches the game with a tenacity for improving each day. But the work he does in the classroom is equally important. 

He is an economics major, which he chose because of his interest in business. By studying at a liberal arts college, he has taken advantage of Colgate’s course offerings by trying new things. In addition to his economics courses, he’s taking a class in dancing in the fall. 

By studying at Colgate, Saunders is fulfilling a goal he set when he began his search for a college. During his college search, he wanted to play for a program with a strong history of success. But he also wanted to earn a top degree. 

“I wanted to come here and bring a winning culture,” he said. “I knew the academics would set me up for the future in a great way. It would provide me with two outlets. One, I want to go to the NFL. I want to play professionally. And if that doesn’t work out, I’ll have a great degree when I enter the workforce.”

After two years at Colgate, Saunders has nothing but high praise for the football program and his academic experience. 

Saunders switched from No. 14 to No. 9 in high school to honor his late mother.

From the moment he first entered the Raiders’ locker room, the coaches have played a big role in helping him become a star wide receiver. The list of people who have helped him become a better player include Ian Pace, the wide receivers coach. He credited Pace for helping him understand the position and how it fits with the entire offense. 

In addition, he lauded offensive coordinator Brent Bassham for showing trust in him as he was trying to prove he could contribute to the team.

Another important figure has been his head coach, Dakosty.

“He’s a big motivator,” Saunders said. “Everybody wants to impress the head coach. But he’s not just the head coach. He’s very personable. He tells you what he thinks about this play or that play. He is truly honest. That keeps me level-headed.”

Last season, when injuries forced Colgate to turn to third-string rookie quarterback Jake Stearney, the offensive hardly missed a beat, and went on to win a few huge games in dramatic fashion.

The reason for the Raiders’ success on offense? The coaches, who created a system to keep their quarterbacks ready—and the quarterbacks for having the talent and work ethic to be ready at any moment, Saunders said. 

“We have three quarterbacks who know how to run an offense,” Saunders said. “They know the plays inside out. They know the schemes we want to use, so it was easy for them to lead us. There was no drop with any quarterback. Their impact was immediate.

“It’s a testament to the coaching staff who works with them. It’s also a testament to the players themselves.”

Saunders has high goals for the 2024 season.

“I want to win,” he said. “I want to be Patriot League Player of the Year. I want to be All-League. This year, I’m coming for it all. I want a Patriot League championship. I want to go to the playoffs and go to the nationals. I want everything for this team.”

Whether Saunders is on the field or in the weight room, he approaches his work with a determination to be the best. Before and after a practice, he spends extra time working on his techniques.

In the summer, when he returns home to Ohio, he works with a quarterback. If no one is available to throw him the ball, he’s still on the field, practicing his routes and releases. 

He also plays with a surge of confidence. 

“When I’m on the field, I feel like there’s nobody out there who can stop me,” he said. “ I want to be dominant at all times. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, nobody else will.”

And a big reason for his mindset comes down to the No. 9 on his jersey.