#81

Preston Kilgore

Junior tight end for Southern Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.

TE · Southern Miss · Jr. · #81

6′4″ · 240 lb · Terrell, TX · Terrell HS

Returning to Southern Miss for 2026

via southernmiss.com ↗

Next upSat Sep 19 · 7 pm ETvs UConnM. M. Roberts StadiumUConn by 3

How he plays

Long catch: 29th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

receiving yards · 2026

4 catches · 7 per catch

2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 rec, 21 yds, vs Alcorn State

His career numbers, season by season

The story

3 tight end for Southern Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.

His career, year by year

Preston Kilgore

TE · Southern Miss · Jr · #81

One game to point at: 21 rec yds, 2 receptions against Alcorn State — Week 1, 2026.

28 REC YDS · 4 REC · 0 REC TD

Low coverage — composed from the verified record.

season totals
game log

2026 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2026Southern Miss1-1HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning, fast tempo

Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort

Box-score percentiles

5 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).

Box-score rates (5)

Long catch#6 / 7 · 29th pct

Rec TDs#5 / 7 · 21st pct

Yards / catch#7 / 7 · 14th pct

7.0

Rec yards#8 / 7 · 0th pct

Receptions#8 / 7 · 0th pct

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits

Per-game splits

Through 2 games: 2.0 REC/g, 14.0 YDS/g, 7.0 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Blake Anderson

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	Southern Miss	4	28	7.0	0	--
Career		4	28	7.0	0	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026

W 49–3

vs Alcorn State

2 rec · 21 yds

Dominant 46-point win at home against Alcorn State.

With M. Johnson — 13 rush yds (1 car) · E. Hampton — 180 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 15 rush yds (3 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2026 season · 2 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 49-3vs Alcorn State	2	21	10.5	19	Season-high 21 yds
Wk 2	L 8-43@ Auburn	2	7	3.5	6
Total		4	28	7.0	19

The tight end room · Southern Miss

#88Kyirin HeathTE · Sr.228 receiving yards · 2025
#84Kadinn MorrisTE · Sr.183 receiving yards · 2025
#81Preston KilgoreTE · Jr.2 games · 2026
#88Jeremiah Beck Jr.TE · Jr.1 game · 2026
#87Caston BrownTE · So.no box-score line yet

4 more on the roster · Southern Miss team page

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology