Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-45@ Penn State | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Wk 2 | W 28-26vs Middle Tennessee | 7 | 43 | 6.1 | 0 | 15 | Season-high 43 yds |
| Total | 7 | 43 | 6.1 | 0 | 15 |
#2
Adrian Norton
Senior wide receiver for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 199 lb · Huber Heights, OH
CFB Index 44 · #265 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Marshall 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
43
receiving yards · 2026
7 catches · 6.1 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 8 rec · 160 yds · 1 TD -- top 1% receiving yards game. -- Best game: 7 rec, 43 yds, vs Middle Tennessee
The play that turned itSwung Akron from 35% to 75% to win.Eastern Michigan at Akron · 25-21
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 wide receiver for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Akron in 2023.
- Transferred from Akron to Marshall in 2025.
Adrian Norton
Moves the chains on third down. Adrian Norton has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-MAC. The receipt: 43 rec yds, 7 receptions against Middle Tennessee — Week 2, 2026.
43 REC YDS · 7 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 168 yds at Western Michigan.Western Michigan · L 24-342024
20235 games
- Signed with Akron3-star out of Stebbins
202410 games
The role got bigger.
- All-MACsecond
20258 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM
All-MAC 2nd team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Marshall
2025–2026era →
Tony Gibson
Marshall
Coaching transition mid-career: Charles Huff → Tony Gibson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Akron2-10HC: Joe Moorhead · Pass-leaning
2024Akron4-8HC: Joe Moorhead · Pass-leaning
2025Marshall5-7HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning
2026Marshall1-1HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceFading
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.5 REC/g, 21.5 YDS/g, 6.1 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tony Gibson
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-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #26 of 51 Sun Belt WRs
How the All-Sun Belt 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 2 · 2026
W 28–26
7 rec · 43 yds
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 2 at home.
With C. Heimbach — 48 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 54 LONG · C. Del Rio-Wilson — 92 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.2 · 43 rush yds (10 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.37(00:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 Z.Turner pass complete short right to #2 A.Norton caught at MAR37, for 9 yards to the MAR41 (#21 J.Hardy)
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 2&9 · Q1 · EPA -0.57(07:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short right to #2 A.Norton caught at MAR36, for 1 yard to the MAR37 (#21 J.Hardy)
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.45(09:47) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short left to #2 A.Norton caught at MT 10, for 8 yards to the MT 07 (#2 J.Lowe)
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA -0.43(14:18) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short right to #2 A.Norton caught at MAR23, for 1 yard to the MAR25 (#13 A.Taylor; #95 Z.Simpson-Smith)
- Week 1 · Penn State · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA -0.32No Huddle-Shotgun #2 A.Norton rush middle for 2 yards gain to the MAR45 (#99 K.Williams), 1ST DOWN, PENALTY PSU Face Mask (#99 K.Williams) 15 yards from MAR45 to PSU40, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.31(14:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 Z.Turner pass complete short right to #2 A.Norton caught at MT 22, for 15 yards to the MT 18 (#2 J.Lowe; #26 K.Smith), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 3&8 · Q1 · EPA -0.27(06:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short left to #2 A.Norton caught at MAR39, for 2 yards to the MAR39 (#2 J.Lowe)
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 3&8 · Q3 · EPA +0.12(10:10) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 K.Wilkins pass complete short middle to #2 A.Norton caught at MAR14, for 7 yards to the MAR22 (#30 B.Williams; #46 R.Johnson)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Marshall
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Marshall
Returning around him
- 99% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- Transfer portal: +6 net (28 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Marshall · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #97 · 2026 recruiting class #123
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jeremiah Webb’s 2024 season.
81%match
Matches Jeremiah on
Yards / reception
Weight
Reception volume
Differs from Jeremiah on
TD rate (higher)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Jalen Coker’s path through Holy Cross.
Jalen Coker
99%match
Matches Jalen on
Yards per reception
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kris Mitchell's junior season at Florida International (2022).
76%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Kris on
Total EPA (college ability)
Weight
Yards / reception
Differs from Kris on
Class year (lower)
EPA / play (adj) (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Adrian Norton
The receiver room · Marshall
- #4Demarcus Lacey769 receiving yards · 2025
- De'Andre Tamarez395 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Adrian Norton383 receiving yards · 2025
- #5Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw109 receiving yards · 2025
- #3Chris Culliver100 receiving yards · 2025
19 more on the roster · Marshall team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology