Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 35-7vs Eastern Michigan | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | Season-high 5 yds |
| Total | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
#88
Kai Rios
Senior tight end for Michigan State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′6″ · 262 lb · Rock Island, IL · Rock Island
Returning to Michigan State for 2026
The numbers
5
receiving yards · 2026
1 catches · 5 per catch
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 rec, 5 yds, vs Eastern Michigan
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 tight end for Michigan State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed with Indiana State in 2022.
- Transferred from Indiana State to Michigan State in 2025.
Kai Rios
Two seasons at Michigan State, two different head coaches: Jonathan Smith and Pat Fitzgerald. The receipt on tape: 5 rec yds, 1 receptions against Eastern Michigan, Week 2, 2026.
5 REC YDS · 1 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Indiana Stateout of Rock Island
2025
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Michigan State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Michigan State
Coaching transition mid-career: Jonathan Smith → Pat Fitzgerald. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Michigan State4-8HC: Jonathan Smith · Balanced
2026Michigan State2-0HC: Pat Fitzgerald · Run-heavy, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 REC/g, 5.0 YDS/g, 5.0 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | -- |
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Michigan State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · Michigan State
Returning around him
- 21% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 2 Michigan State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -18 net (28 in / 46 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Michigan State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #61 · 2026 recruiting class #45
Background
Redshirt senior tight end enters his second season with the Spartans in 2026 . . . has played in 31 collegiate games (10 at Indiana State in 2023; 12 at Indiana State in 2024; nine at MSU in 2025) . . . transferred to Michigan State in the summer of 2025 . . . has nine catches for 70 yards and tw...
The tight end room · Michigan State
- #31Jayden Savoury16 receiving yards · 2025
- #88Kai Rios1 receiving yard · 2025
- #82Brennan Parachek1 game · 2026
- #12Carson Gulkerno box-score line yet
- #48Charlie Bakerno box-score line yet
3 more on the roster · Michigan State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology