Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-7vs Jacksonville State | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 1 | 17 | |
| Wk 1 | W 38-0vs Fordham | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-32@ Air Force | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 0 | 23 | Season-high 42 yds |
| Total | 9 | 90 | 12.0 | 1 | 23 |
#81
Reis Kessel
Sophomore tight end for North Dakota State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′5″ · 245 lb · Fargo, ND · Fargo South HS
Returning to North Dakota State for 2026
How he plays
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
Long catch: 64th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
90
receiving yards · 2026
9 catches · 1 TD · 10 per catch
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD, vs Jacksonville State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 tight end for North Dakota State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
His career, year by yearReis Kessel
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. One game to point at: 42 rec yds, 4 receptions against Air Force — Week 2, 2026.
90 REC YDS · 9 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
North Dakota State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026North Dakota State3-0HC: Tim Polasek · Run-heavy
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Concern: receptions (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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.5 | 24.0 | 12.8 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 4.0 | 42.0 | 10.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 30.0 | 12.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tim Polasek
Pass share
37.7%
72 pass / 119 run
Plays / game
63.7
3 games
Team sack rate
6.0%
84 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Dakota State | 9 | 90 | 10.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 9 | 90 | 10.0 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–32
at Air Force
4 rec · 42 yds
Edged out Air Force on the road in a shootout.
With J. Williams — 18 rush yds (2 car) · N. Hayes — 228 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · 17 rush yds (3 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Jacksonville State · 3&5 · Q1 · EPA +2.64Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short middle to #81 R.Kessel caught at NDSU45, for 17 yards to the NDSU47 (#40 W.O'Steen), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Jacksonville State · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +2.53Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short right to #81 R.Kessel caught at JSU00, for 6 yards to the JSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:09 #37 D.Klein kick attempt good (H: #39 A.Bickerton, LS: #48 C.Anderson)
- Week 2 · Air Force · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.07(08:10) No Huddle #2 N.Hayes pass complete short right to #81 R.Kessel caught at NDSU28, for 23 yards to the NDSU48 (#9 M.Mustell), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Fordham · 3&9 · Q3 · EPA +1.50(05:15) Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short left to #81 R.Kessel caught at FOR22, for 18 yards to the FOR12 (#19 B.Owens), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Air Force · 2&11 · Q1 · EPA +1.33(02:22) Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short right to #81 R.Kessel caught at AF33, for 12 yards to the AF27 (#5 R.Jones; #8 D.Daley), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Air Force · 2&5 · Q2 · EPA +1.04(01:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short middle to #81 R.Kessel caught at NDSU47, for 7 yards to the NDSU47 (#8 D.Daley), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Air Force · 3&9 · Q4 · EPA -1.02(02:37) #2 N.Hayes pass complete short right to #81 R.Kessel caught at AF38, for 0 yards to the AF38, out of bounds at AF38
- Week 1 · Jacksonville State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.16(02:12) Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short middle to #81 R.Kessel caught at NDSU50, for 4 yards to the NDSU50 (#5 R.Billings)
- Week 1 · Jacksonville State · 2&3 · Q2 · EPA +0.05(01:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 N.Hayes pass complete short right to #81 R.Kessel caught at NDSU22, for 3 yards to the NDSU22 (#2 M.Joseph), 1ST DOWN. The previous play is under automatic review - "Short of the line to gain". CALL UPHELD
Game log
Game by game
Reis Kessel's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
How he plays
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
North Dakota State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · North Dakota State
Returning around him
- 2 North Dakota State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -4 net (3 in / 7 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
North Dakota State · Last season: 12-1 · Talent rank #131 · 2026 recruiting class #117
DNA match
Player DNA
Complete TE
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
TE
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Niko Hea’s 2020 season.
Matches Niko on
Reception volume
Weight
Class year
Through 1 college season, his career arc tracks closest to Tyler Fortenberry’s path through Arkansas State.
Matches Tyler on
Height
Weight
Yards per reception
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Carter Nelson's freshman season at Nebraska (2024).
Matches Carter on
Reception volume
Yards / reception
TD rate
Background
* 2025 FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team * 2025 Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-America Second Team * 2025 MVFC All-Newcomer Team * 2024 MVFC Honor Roll 2025 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Played in all 13 games and started five at tight end...Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team.....
The tight end room · North Dakota State
- #40Kaden Zenzenno box-score line yet
- #44Luke Kokatno box-score line yet
- #96Abraham Myersno box-score line yet
- #85Jett Zabelno box-score line yet
- #81Reis Kessel3 games · 2026
6 more on the roster · North Dakota State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology