Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 54-14vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 4 | 80 | 20.0 | 1 | 47 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-21@ Kansas | 6 | 120 | 20.0 | 1 | 27 | Season-high 120 yds |
| Wk 3 | W 27-17vs Troy | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 0 | 23 | |
| Total | 14 | 230 | 15.8 | 2 | 47 |
#19
Cayden Lee
Senior wide receiver for Missouri. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 180 lb · Kennesaw, GA · Kennesaw Mountain
CFB Index 58 · #144 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceTransferred Ole Miss → Missouri 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.
The numbers
230
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 rec, 120 yds, 1 TD, at Kansas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior wide receiver for Missouri. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ole Miss in 2023.
- Transferred from Ole Miss to Missouri in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
24.2own fans
-30rival fans
Also worth knowing:
Cayden Lee
Moves the chains on third down. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Lane Kiffin and Eli Drinkwitz. The receipt on tape: 120 rec yds, 6 receptions against Kansas, Week 2, 2026.
230 REC YDS · 14 REC · 2 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
The week the volume broke through — put up 77 yds at Mississippi State.Mississippi State · W 38-192025
20233 games
- Signed with Ole Miss3-star out of Kennesaw Mountain
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Missouri
Played his entire career under Eli Drinkwitz.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Missouri
2025Ole Miss
2026Missouri
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Cayden Lee'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.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 54–14
4 rec · 80 yds · 1 TD
Dominant 40-point win at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
With A. Simmons — 252 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 96.8 · -2 rush yds (2 car) · B. Reus — 43.5 yards per punt · 2 punts · 1 inside the 20
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +3.61A. Simmons pass to C. Lee for 47 yds, for a TD (B. Craig KICK)
- Week 2 · Kansas · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +2.95(11:05) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short middle to #19 C.Lee caught at KU44, for 17 yards to the KU44, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Kansas · 2&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.79(00:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete deep middle to #19 C.Lee caught at KU00, for 27 yards to the KU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:30, 1ST DOWN #19 B.Craig kick attempt good (H: #40 B.Reus, LS: #49 B.Le Blanc)
- Week 3 · Troy · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.07(14:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short left to #19 C.Lee caught at MIZZOU30, for 23 yards to the MIZZOU48 (#6 J.Powe), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Troy · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.81(11:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short middle to #19 C.Lee caught at TROY41, for 4 yards loss to the TROY40 (#25 K.Henderson)
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.41(08:32) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete deep left to #19 C.Lee caught at UAPB37, for 20 yards to the UAPB37, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN. The previous play is under automatic review - "Runner was inbounds". CALL UPHELD
- Week 2 · Kansas · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.29(00:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short left to #19 C.Lee caught at KU37, for 26 yards to the KU26 (#3 C.Gordon), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 2&12 · Q1 · EPA +1.25(05:57) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short middle to #19 C.Lee caught at UAPB21, for 15 yards to the UAPB20 (#38 N.Johnson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas-Pine Bluff · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -1.10(14:58) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short left to #19 C.Lee caught at Mizzou28, for 2 yards loss to the Mizzou28 (#50 N.Walker)
- Week 2 · Kansas · 3&7 · Q1 · EPA +1.08(08:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #13 A.Simmons pass complete short right to #19 C.Lee caught at KU20, for 9 yards to the KU19 (#1 J.Todd), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +30 receiving yards, +4 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Ole Miss11-2HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning
2024Ole Miss10-3HC: Lane Kiffin · Balanced
2025Ole Miss13-2HC: Lane Kiffin · Balanced
2026Missouri3-0HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Elite: explosive rate (99th percentile). Strength: yards / catch (88th percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (5)
Season trend
Last seasonThis season
EPA / target
78th → 57th percentile
Explosive rate
78th → 99th percentile
Catch rate
53rd → 62nd percentile
TD rate
62nd → 50th percentile
Yards / catch
75th → 88th percentile
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
14 of 14 receptions matched to play-by-play
19 of 20 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
2025% of team targetsCatch rate
70%14 of 20 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
16% of targets (3)
100%catch rate
Air -3.3 · YAC 2.0 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
26% of targets (5)
60%catch rate
Air 5.8 · YAC 7.7 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
21% of targets (4)
75%catch rate
Air 14.2 · YAC 4.0 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
37% of targets (7)
57%catch rate
Air 24.3 · YAC 0.0 avg
70% catch rate on 20 targets · 25% of the team's targets · 57% catch rate on 7 deep targets (20+ air yds).
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 4.0 | 55.0 | 13.8 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 6.0 | 120 | 20.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.7 | 76.7 | 15.8 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Eli Drinkwitz
Pass share
42.3%
82 pass / 112 run
Plays / game
64.7
3 games
Team sack rate
2.3%
87 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Jeff Badet’s 2017 season.
Matches Jeff on
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Height
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Matt Fogler’s path through Colgate.
Matches Matt on
Yards per reception
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Matthew Coleman's senior season at Sacramento State (2026).
Matches Matthew on
Weight
Yards / reception
Height
Differs from Matthew on
EPA / play (adj) (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Cayden Lee
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #183
Peaked at #183 this season.
Background
Prior to Mizzou: 2025 (Ole Miss): Started all 15 games at wide receiver … Registered 44 catches on the season for 635 yards and three touchdowns … Helped leads Rebels to team school records in total yards (7,345), passing yards (4,700), most points (554), first downs (383) … Biletnikoff Award…
The receiver room · Missouri
- #19Cayden Lee635 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Caleb Goodie484 receiving yards · 2025
- #1Donovan Olugbode401 receiving yards · 2025
- #17Kenric Lanier II79 receiving yards · 2025
- Naeshaun Montgomery26 receiving yards · 2025
9 more on the roster · Missouri team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology