A hometown Blue Springs product who turned heads at Chiefs rookie minicamp and earned a tryout contract after stops at three different colleges.
Xavier Loyd's path to the Kansas City roster ran through Blue Springs, Missouri, where he grew up, and three different college programs before he landed at Missouri for his final season. Undrafted and lightly touted, he made the most of a rookie minicamp tryout to earn a deal with his hometown team.
Path to the league
Loyd starred at Blue Springs High School, catching 40 passes for 562 yards and 10 touchdowns over his final two seasons. He began his college career at Kansas State from 2021 to 2023, transferred to Illinois State for 2024, and finished at Missouri in 2025. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, ranked by The Athletic's Dane Brugler as the 211th-best wide receiver in the class, but earned a contract with the Chiefs after a strong showing at rookie minicamp tryouts.
Career highlights
Loyd's best college production came at Illinois State in 2024, where he caught 66 passes for 912 yards and six touchdowns, earning honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and All-Newcomer honors. That breakout season established him as a legitimate FCS-level threat before his move to Missouri.
2025 season recap
Loyd appeared in 13 games for Missouri in his lone season with the Tigers but saw limited targets in a crowded receiver room, finishing with two catches for 21 yards. He entered the 2026 draft process on the fringes of most boards but stood out at the Chiefs' rookie camp, catching the coaching staff's attention enough to earn a spot on the 90-man roster as a tryout signing.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports: Blue Springs' Xavier Loyd stands out in tryout, earns deal with Chiefs
- Missouri Tigers Athletics: Xavier Loyd roster bio
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Missouri
- Hometown
- Blue Springs, MO, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
