River Helms stats, 2026
Georgia Southern (3–4, Sun Belt). Tight end. 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.
River Helms is a tight end for Georgia Southern (3–4). Among receivers and tight ends this season he's 28th in EPA per play (0.86), 152nd in catches (27), 205th in receiving TDs (2), in 7 games. This week: App State at Georgia Southern.
Bio
Who is River Helms?
- Position
- Tight end
- Class
- Senior
- Height
- 6-4
- Weight
- 230 pounds
- Number
- No. 87
- Hometown
- Lester, AL
- High school
- West Limestone (Lester, AL)
- Recruiting
- 3-star, No. 555 in the 2021 class, signed with Western Kentucky
- Transfers
- Western Kentucky to Georgia Southern (2025)
From the 2026 roster, the 247Sports recruiting composite and the transfer portal, all via CollegeFootballData.com.
The season
River Helms's receiving stats
He's 152nd of 682 receivers and tight ends in catches (27) and 205th of 506 receivers and tight ends in receiving TDs (2).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving yards | 293 | 220th of 682 |
| Catches | 27 | 152nd of 682 |
| Yards per catch | 10.9 | 481st of 675 |
| Receiving TDs | 2 | 205th of 506 |
The season
River Helms's receiving efficiency and big plays
He's 28th of 199 receivers and tight ends in EPA per play (0.86) and 215th of 657 receivers and tight ends in explosive catches (16+ yards) (6).
| Stat | Season | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Explosive catches (16+ yards) | 6 | 215th of 657 |
| EPA per play | 0.86 | 28th of 199 |
Ranks are among every FBS receivers and tight end with the stat this season. Rates need a minimum sample (50 dropbacks for passing rates, 20 carries, 8 catches). From the play-by-play.
Charts
How does River Helms compare, in charts?
Career
River Helms's career stats
| Season | Team | Catches | Rec yds | Yds/catch | Rec TD | Rush yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 22 | 289 | 13.1 | 3 | — |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 19 | 228 | 12.0 | 2 | — |
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | — |
| 2026 | Georgia Southern | 27 | 293 | 10.9 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | 69 | 814 | 11.8 | 8 | 0 |
Past seasons (back to 2022) from CollegeFootballData.com; 2026 from the play-by-play, games through Oct 24, 2026.
By school
How did River Helms do at Western Kentucky and Georgia Southern?
Western Kentucky (2023–2024) is where he's been best: his best numbers at any school on all 4 of the rates below. That's +1.02 EPA per play (+0.78 at Georgia Southern), 12.6 yards a catch (10.6) and 16+ yard gains on 27.5% of his catches (22.2%). His weakest stretch was Georgia Southern this season: +0.78 EPA per play and 10.6 yards a catch. His biggest season for receiving yards was 2026 at Georgia Southern, with 293. The Georgia Southern numbers are 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026. The rates compare fairly with his other seasons; the totals are still growing.
| School | Seasons | Catches | Rec yds | Yds/catch | Rec TD | Rush yds | Explosive catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 2023–2024 | 41 | 517 | 12.6 | 5 | — | 27.5% |
| Georgia Southern | 2025–2026 (so far) | 28 | 297 | 10.6 | 3 | 0 | 22.2% |
* 2026 so far, through Oct 24, 2026.
Totals for his seasons at each school; rates worked out from those totals. Success and explosive rates count every play; EPA per play leaves out garbage time. Rates need the same minimum sample as the season stats.
Advanced
River Helms's advanced stats by season
| Season | Team | EPA/play | Pass EPA/play | Rush EPA/play | Explosive catches | Total EPA | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | +0.99 | +0.99 | — | 19.0% | 23.7 | 4% |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | +1.05 | +1.05 | — | 36.8% | 21.0 | 5% |
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | +1.17 | +1.17 | — | — | 2.3 | 5% |
| 2026 | Georgia Southern | +0.76 | +0.90 | -4.03 | 22.2% | 26.5 | 8% |
EPA per play is the expected points a player adds on each of his plays (0 is average; glossary). Success means the play stayed on schedule: half the yards to go on first down, 70% on second, all of them on third or fourth. Explosive means a run of 12+ yards or a completion of 16+, as a share of his throws, carries or catches. Usage is the share of his team's plays that went to him. EPA and usage leave out garbage time; success and explosive rates count every play. From CollegeFootballData.com and cfbfastR.
Game log
River Helms's game log, 2026
| Week | Opponent | Result | Receiving yards | Catches | Receiving TDs | Explosive catches (16+ yards) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs. Charleston Southern | W 31–0 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | at Clemson | L 7–22 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | at Jacksonville State | L 27–31 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | vs. Houston | L 28–42 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | at Coastal Carolina | W 31–24 | 89 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | vs. James Madison | L 24–27 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | at Old Dominion | W 23–15 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
FAQ
Questions about River Helms
What position does River Helms play?
River Helms plays tight end for Georgia Southern, which is 3–4 this season.
Where has River Helms played?
Western Kentucky (2023–2024) and Georgia Southern (2025–2026).
Where is River Helms from, and what year is he?
River Helms is a senior tight end for Georgia Southern, listed at 6-4 and 230 pounds, from Lester, AL.
How tall is River Helms, and how much does he weigh?
River Helms is listed at 6-4 and 230 pounds on Georgia Southern's 2026 roster.
What year is River Helms?
River Helms is a senior, from the 2021 recruiting class.
What are River Helms's career stats?
Over 4 seasons (2023–2026), River Helms has 69 catches for 814 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Who does River Helms play for?
Georgia Southern (3–4, Sun Belt), where he plays tight end and wears No. 87.
Is River Helms eligible for the NFL Draft?
Yes. Players can enter the NFL Draft three years after high school, and River Helms was in the 2021 class, so he's eligible for the 2027 draft.
How did River Helms play in his last game?
Week 7 at Old Dominion: 57 receiving yards, 4 catches, 1 explosive catch (16+ yards). Georgia Southern won 23–15.
Where did River Helms go to high school?
West Limestone (Lester, AL). He was a 3-star recruit, No. 555 in the 2021 class, signed with Western Kentucky.
Is River Helms a transfer?
Yes. He transferred from Western Kentucky to Georgia Southern (2025).
What are River Helms's stats this season?
293 receiving yards, 27 catches, 10.9 yards per catch, 2 receiving TDs, 6 explosive catches (16+ yards) in 7 games, through Oct 24, 2026.
How does River Helms rank nationally?
Among FBS receivers and tight ends: 28th of 199 in EPA per play, 152nd of 682 in catches, 205th of 506 in receiving TDs.
When does River Helms play next?
Georgia Southern hosts App State Sat, Oct 31, 6:30 PM ET on ESPN+. The numbers' pick: Georgia Southern.
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Where the data comes from
| Source | What we use | How often |
|---|---|---|
| CollegeFootballData.com, via the public cfbfastR files | Schedules, final scores, pregame Elo, play-by-play and box score stats, rosters | Usually posted Sunday or Monday morning after games |
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- Projected score. Each team's SP+ offense, plus how far the opponent's SP+ defense is from average, plus special teams. The home team gets half of a 2.5-point home edge added and the visitor half subtracted.
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- The three ratings. SP+ is built from every play this season. PRIME is a possession-efficiency rating. Elo uses only final scores and carries over from year to year, with 55 Elo points of home edge.
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- CFB Charts Top 25. SP+, PRIME and strength of record, each converted to a common scale and averaged.
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- 12 teams, under the 2026-27 rules. Automatic bids go to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, and to the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Until the title games, each conference's current leader stands in as its champion.
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SP+ vs. payroll is the average, across a conference's teams with an NIL valuation (positive means its teams play better than their payrolls predict). Blue-chip ratio is the share of all its rostered players who were 4- or 5-star recruits.
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The columns on the right show where each team would be seeded under the other ratings. A dash means out.
How the field is built
- 12 teams. Five get in automatically: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, plus the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt (champion or not).
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- At-large. The remaining spots go to the highest-ranked teams left. If an automatic qualifier ranks outside the top 12, it takes the last at-large spot.
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- Champions mid-season. "Current conference leader" uses the best conference record so far, with ties broken by the chosen rating. "Highest-rated team" picks the best-rated team in each conference instead.
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- This is a projection from today's numbers. The real field is chosen by a committee on Dec. 6, after conference title games.
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Statuses come from the conference availability reports and team news, as of the date shown. "Hasn't played" means a regular (the main passer, a quarter of the carries or 15% of the catches) with no pass, carry or catch in his team's last two games, from the play-by-play. That can be an injury, a benching or a suspension. Linemen and defenders don't show up in that check.
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Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.