Kennesaw Mountain wide receiver Jordan Saunders emerged as a player to watch after a promising freshman season in 2011.

Saunders now has an opportunity to make himself known on the national level after being selected to the National Underclassmen Top 100, ranking him among the top players in the nation in the incoming sophomore class.

As a result, Saunders earned an opportunity to participate in the National Underclassmen Ultimate Top Prospect Camp on July 24 at the University of Oklahoma.

“It’s a great honor and I’m really thankful that God has given me this opportunity,” Saunders said. “It will give me an opportunity to improve and learn, and I’m really excited about it. My teammates and my family are giving me a lot of great support about it.”

Kennesaw Mountain coach Andy Scott expressed his excitement about Saunders’ selection.

“It’s a great honor for Jordan,” said Scott, who is entering his first season at the Mustangs’ helm. “His being ranked among the top 100 players in the nation in his class is as exciting for all of us, as it is for him. Jordan is a great young man and is a tremendous athletic talent. This is great for him, great for the program and great for our community.”

The camp is held by Schuman’s National Underclassmen Combine, which showcases the skills of the top high school players in the nation for college recruiters and recruiting organizations in their camps.

Scouting publications such as Rivals.com, Maxpreps and Scout.com as well as ESPN, college recruiting experts Tom Lemming and Jim Stefani and college coaches use the results from the combines to rank players and offer scholarships.

Saunders earned his spot in the national camp after advancing with strong performances at a local combine in Atlanta on June 14 and then a regional combine in College Park on June 29.

During the one-day camp in Oklahoma, Saunders’ skills will be tested and graded in a series of drills simulating game situations.

“We’re going to be evaluated in 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 situations,” Saunders said. “We’re going to be evaluated on our skills. I just want to know how good I am compared to the other top players in the nation in my class.”

Saunders showed considerable promise in his first year of high school football, catching 16 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown as a freshman for Kennesaw Mountain.

“Jordan does a good job catching the ball, but he’s also a great blocker,” Scott said. “He’s very quick and very athletic. He has a tremendous work ethic and he puts in a lot of work in the weight room.”

While Saunders is pleased with his progress so far, he was quick to acknowledge that he still has some work to do as he looks forward to his sophomore season.

“I have to work on my route-running — that’s a big one,” Saunders said. “I want to keep working hard to get better and better.”