Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 30-20vs Toledo | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 35-7vs Eastern Michigan | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#7
Michael Richard Jr.
Senior safety on Michigan State's 2026 roster.
5′10″ · 179 lb · New Orleans, LA
CFB Index 63 · #154 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceTransferred Louisiana Tech → Michigan State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
3★
S recruit
No. 1896 nationally · Signed with Louisiana Tech
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on Michigan State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Louisiana Tech in 2023.
- Transferred from Louisiana Tech to Michigan State in 2026.
Michael Richard Jr.
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1 TFL against Toledo — Week 1, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
202310 games
- Signed with Louisiana Tech3-star out of Edna Karr
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
3 coaches2023
Michigan State
Played under 3 different head coaches: Mel Tucker, Jonathan Smith, and Pat Fitzgerald. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Michigan State
2025Louisiana Tech
2026Michigan State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Louisiana Tech3-9HC: Sonny Cumbie · Balanced
2024Louisiana Tech5-8HC: Sonny Cumbie · Run-leaning
2025Louisiana Tech8-5HC: Sonny Cumbie · Run-heavy
2026Michigan State2-0HC: Pat Fitzgerald · Run-heavy, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceAscending
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/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 · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
63 · #154 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #154 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State | 6 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Louisiana Tech | 38 | 28 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Louisiana Tech | 33 | 14 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Louisiana Tech | 32 | 14 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 7 | -- | -- |
| Career | 109 | 61 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 11 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 30–20
vs Toledo
5 TOT · 5 SOLO · 1 TFL
With A. Milivojevic — 247 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 87.3 · -5 rush yds (6 car) · C. Mccray — 4 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Noah Pierre’s 2022 season.
81%match
Matches Noah on
Tackle volume
Height
PD rate
Differs from Noah on
TFL rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Zion Tracy's junior season at Penn State (2025).
86%match
Matches Zion on
Class year
Weight
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Michael Richard Jr.
The secondary · Michigan State
- #7Michael Richard Jr.38 tackles · 2025
- #3Tre Bell36 tackles · 2025
- #21Nikai Martinez24 tackles · 2025
- #30Aveon Grose15 tackles · 2025
- #34Khalil Majeed3 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Michigan State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology