{{Short description|American football player (born 2004)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox college football player | name = Cayden Lee | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | school = Missouri Tigers | currentnumber = 19 | position = Wide receiver | class = Senior | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 180 | highschool = Kennesaw Mountain {{nowrap|(Kennesaw, Georgia)}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|11|17}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | pastschools = *Ole Miss (2023–2025) *Missouri (2026–present) | highlights = | espn = 4870858 }} '''Cayden Xavier Lee''' (born November 17, 2004) is an American college football wide receiver for the Missouri Tigers. He previously played for the Ole Miss Rebels.
== Early life == Lee attended Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. As a senior, he totaled 74 receptions for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns, before committing to play college football at the University of Mississippi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eckert |first=David |title=Ole Miss football receives commitment from Cayden Lee, three-star wide receiver |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2022/12/22/ole-miss-football-recruiting-cayden-lee-commits-lane-kiffin/69749496007/ |date=2022-12-22 |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref>
== College career == In the first game of his collegiate career against Mercer, Lee hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Sanders.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Honeycomb' Lee has buzzed his way up the depth chart |url=https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/article/honeycomb-lee-has-buzzed-his-way-up-the-depth-chart-215603484/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=247Sports |language=en}}</ref> He made his first career start in the 2023 Peach Bowl against Penn State, finishing with three catches for 29 yards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Source |first=Custom |date=2024-04-05 |title=Cayden Lee is confident his time will come |url=https://cdispatch.com/sports/cayden-lee-is-confident-his-time-will-come/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref> Lee finished his freshman season totaling five receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eckert |first=David |title=Ole Miss football keeps adding receiver talent. Why Cayden Lee, Ayden Williams still stuck around. |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2024/04/09/ole-miss-football-cayden-lee-ayden-williams-lane-kiffin-transfer-portal/73243067007/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref> His production increased during his sophomore season, catching five passes for 127 yards against Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wicker |first=Kameron |date=2024-11-06 |title=Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee is 'locked in' as he and Rebels prepare for Georgia |url=https://therebelwalk.com/2024/11/ole-miss-wide-receiver-cayden-lee-is-locked-in-as-he-and-rebels-prepare-for-georgia/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Rebel Walk |language=en-US}}</ref> Lee ended the 2024 season recording 57 catches for 874 yards and two touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Katz |first=Michael |date=2025-07-18 |title=Ole Miss' Cayden Lee thrives as a 'Silent Assassin' |url=https://cdispatch.com/sports/ole-miss-cayden-lee-thrives-as-a-silent-assassin/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref> He entered his junior season as the Rebels' leading returning receiver.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Katz |first=Michael |date=2025-08-29 |title=Cayden Lee knows to ‘trust (his) training’ |url=https://cdispatch.com/sports/cayden-lee-knows-to-trust-his-training/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrett |first=Ben |date=2025-03-19 |title=Next-Gen Leaders: How Simmons and Lee’s friendship is driving Ole Miss football’s future |url=https://www.on3.com/teams/ole-miss-rebels/news/cayden-lee-austin-simmons-ole-miss-rebels-spring-football-practices-jaxson-dart-tre-harris/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=OMSpirit |language=en}}</ref> Lee finished the 2025 season catching 44 passes for 635 yards and three touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pope |first=Keegan |date=2026-01-17 |title=Ole Miss standout WR Cayden Lee plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal |url=https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/news/ole-miss-standout-wr-cayden-lee-plans-to-enter-ncaa-transfer-portal/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=Transfer Portal Home |language=en}}</ref> On January 17, 2026, he entered the transfer portal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hutchens |first=Sam |title=Cayden Lee, one of Ole Miss' top receivers, is late entry in transfer portal, per report |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2026/01/17/cayden-lee-transfer-portal-ole-miss-football/88198644007/ |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Statistics=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ {{Screen reader-only|College statistics}} ! rowspan="2"| Season ! rowspan="2" |Team ! rowspan="2" | GP ! colspan="4"| Receiving |- ! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
|- ! 2023 ! Ole Miss |10 || 5 || 114 || 22.8 || 2 |- ! 2024 ! Ole Miss |13 || 57 || 874 || 15.3 || 2 |- ! 2025 ! Ole Miss |15 || 44 || 635 || 14.4 || 3 |- ! colspan="2" | [https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cayden-lee-1.html Career] !! 38 !! 106 !! 1,623 !! 15.3 !! 7 |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://olemisssports.com/sports/football/roster/cayden-lee/6487 Ole Miss Rebels bio] *[https://mutigers.com/sports/football/roster/cayden-lee/34586 Missouri Tigers bio]
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Cayden}} Category:2004 births Category:Living people Category:American football wide receivers Category:Missouri Tigers football players Category:Players of American football from Kennesaw, Georgia Category:Ole Miss Rebels football players Category:21st-century American sportsmen