BYU's Saunders, Great-Grandson of Tater Tots Inventor, Reacts to JJ Watt Boycott

BYU forward Richie Saunders laughed off J.J. Watt's boycott of tater tots in the wake of Wisconsin's loss to the Cougars in the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Watt, a Badgers legend on the gridiron, said he was swearing off tater tots for 48 hours after the game ended.

Saunders, whose great-grandfather helped to found Ore-Ida and develop the tater tot, had some fun with the five-time Pro Bowler's one-man crusade during an appearance on ESPN.

"Hey, 48 hours is up so you can get back to it," he said. "I was laughing when I saw those. I stay off of a lot of social media during the season, but people be sending me those stuff and it's hilarious."

The Big Dance always creates some breakout stars and Saunders is one example from this year. His roots in the potato business have brought him some viral fame along with endorsement from Ore-Ida.

The junior is more than merely a tater tot heir, though. He's the leading scorer for BYU this season, and he dropped 25 points and seven rebounds in the 91-89 victory over Wisconsin in the second round.

Saunders will try to extend the Cougars' run Thursday night when they take on second-seeded Alabama in the Sweet 16.