Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 35-7vs Northern Arizona | 8 | 96 | 12.0 | 0 | 31 | Season-high 96 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 17-28@ BYU | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 0 | 15 | |
| Total | 13 | 144 | 10.8 | 0 | 31 |
#5
Gio Richardson
Sophomore wide receiver for Arizona. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 180 lb · Chandler, AZ
CFB Index 34 · #358 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Arizona 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
144
receiving yards · 2026
13 catches · 11.1 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 rec, 96 yds, vs Northern Arizona
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 wide receiver for Arizona. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Arizona in 2025.
Gio Richardson
Moves the chains on third down. He has spent two seasons in the Arizona receiving corps. The receipt on tape: 96 rec yds, 17 rush yds against Northern Arizona, Week 1, 2026.
144 REC YDS · 13 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
The week the volume broke through — put up 63 yds at Colorado.Colorado · W 52-172025
202511 games
- Signed with Arizona3-star out of Basha
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Arizona
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Brent Brennan, all balanced offenses — 10-5 over that span.
2025Arizona9-4HC: Brent Brennan · Balanced
2026Arizona1-1HC: Brent Brennan · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rush yards (86th percentile). Concern: rec tds (10th percentile).
Box-score rates (8)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 6.5 REC/g, 72.0 YDS/g, 10.8 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brent Brennan
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.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #40 of 55 Big 12 WRs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 35–7
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -3.76(03:44) Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short left to #5 G.Richardson caught at NAU36, for 31 yards to the NAU10 fumbled by #5 G.Richardson at NAU18 forced by #3 J.Fort recovered by NAU #3 J.Fort at NAU10 #3 J.Fort return 0 yards to the NAU10 (#24 Q.Craig)
- Week 2 · BYU · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.38(14:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short left to #5 G.Richardson caught at ARIZ48, for 15 yards to the BYU49 (#22 T.Prassas), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.94(06:40) Shotgun #5 G.Richardson rush left for 17 yards gain to the NAU33 (#1 S.Brinkley; #5 D.Freeman), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · BYU · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.82(12:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short right to #5 G.Richardson caught at BYU32, for 9 yards to the BYU30 (#15 J.Williams)
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 1&15 · Q2 · EPA +0.79(13:03) Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short right to #5 G.Richardson caught at ARIZ43, for 8 yards to the ARIZ46 (#5 D.Freeman)
- Week 2 · BYU · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +0.77(10:38) Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short middle to #5 G.Richardson caught at BYU14, for 10 yards to the BYU13 (#0 E.Johnson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · BYU · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.76(06:44) Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short right to #5 G.Richardson caught at ARIZ36, for 9 yards to the ARIZ37 (#32 C.DeVries)
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 2&7 · Q3 · EPA +0.74(00:25) Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short left to #5 G.Richardson caught at NAU24, for 21 yards to the NAU08 (#6 S.Wilson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.72(06:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short right to #5 G.Richardson caught at NAU29, for 9 yards to the NAU24 (#1 S.Brinkley; #5 D.Freeman)
- Week 1 · Northern Arizona · 2&1 · Q3 · EPA -0.37(05:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 N.Fifita pass complete short right to #5 G.Richardson caught at NAU28, for 10 yards to the NAU14 (#1 S.Brinkley), 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arizona
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Arizona
Returning around him
- 65% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 4 Arizona players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (22 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arizona · Last season: 9-4 (AP #21) · Talent rank #54 · 2026 recruiting class #42
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 Jaquil Capel’s 2016 season.
Matches Jaquil on
Reception volume
Yards / reception
Height
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Taylor Grimes’s path through Incarnate Word.
Taylor Grimes
100%match
#2
Ryan Flournoy
NFL Rd 6
97%
#3
Anthony Lowe
96%
#5
Maury Sullivan
95%
Matches Taylor on
Yards per reception
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Diore Hubbard's sophomore season at West Virginia (2025).
Matches Diore on
Total EPA (college ability)
Reception volume
Yards / reception
Differs from Diore on
Class year (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Gio Richardson
The receiver room · Arizona
- #12Tre Spivey381 receiving yards · 2025
- #11Chris Hunter372 receiving yards · 2025
- #5Gio Richardson299 receiving yards · 2025
- #84Rodney Gallagher243 receiving yards · 2025
- #10Jordan Ross84 receiving yards · 2025
8 more on the roster · Arizona team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology