Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-45@ Penn State | 8 | 55 | 6.9 | 0 | 11 | Season-high 55 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 28-26vs Middle Tennessee | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Total | 9 | 61 | 6.5 | 0 | 11 |
#81
Toby Payne
Senior tight end for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 237 lb · Poca, WV · Poca
CFB Index 61 · #40 of 156 TEsMedium-low 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
61
receiving yards · 2026
9 catches · 6.8 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 rec, 55 yds, at Penn State
Swing playSwung Marshall from 48% to 70% to win.Marshall at Coastal Carolina · 44-27
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 tight end for Marshall. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Marshall in 2021.
How he plays
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
Rec TDs: 21st percentile.
The full scouting readToby Payne
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. Toby Payne has been at Marshall through two head coaches in four seasons. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Sun Belt. The receipt on tape: 55 rec yds, 8 receptions against Penn State, Week 1, 2026.
61 REC YDS · 9 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 — stacked 2 td at Middle Tennessee.Middle Tennessee · W 42-282025
2021
- Signed with Marshall2-star out of Poca
2022
- Signed with Marshall3-star out of Poca
202511 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Sun Beltfirst
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Marshall
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Charles Huff → Tony Gibson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Marshall9-4HC: Charles Huff · Run-heavy
2024Marshall10-3HC: Charles Huff · Run-leaning
2025Marshall5-7HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning
2026Marshall1-1HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Medium-low confidence
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 4.5 REC/g, 30.5 YDS/g, 6.5 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
In the mix to repeat All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #1 of 16 Sun Belt TEs
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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
1 rec · 6 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 1 · Penn State · 3&9 · Q2 · EPA +2.73No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short middle to #81 T.Payne caught at PSU43, for 11 yards to the PSU39 (#10 C.Bacon), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Penn State · 2&5 · Q3 · EPA +0.93No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short middle to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR36, for 7 yards to the MAR37 QB hurried by #10 C.Bacon (#9 C.Brezina), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Penn State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.93No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short left to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR44, for 10 yards to the MAR49 (#5 D.Dixson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Penn State · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA +0.89No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short middle to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR38, for 8 yards to the MAR39 QB hurried by #9 C.Brezina (#7 Z.Tracy), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Penn State · 2&4 · Q1 · EPA +0.50No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short right to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR22, for 6 yards to the MAR29 (#3 J.Patton), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Penn State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.30No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short right to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR23, for 3 yards to the MAR28 (#8 K.Ebel)
- Week 2 · Middle Tennessee · 2&11 · Q1 · EPA +0.14(08:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short left to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR28, for 6 yards to the MAR30 (#21 J.Hardy)
- Week 1 · Penn State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.07No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short right to #81 T.Payne caught at PSU37, for 5 yards to the PSU34, out of bounds at PSU34
- Week 1 · Penn State · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +0.04No Huddle-Shotgun #7 C.Del Rio-Wilson pass complete short left to #81 T.Payne caught at MAR30, for 5 yards to the MAR30 (#31 M.Neal), out of bounds
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Marshall
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · 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
Complete TE
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
TE
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Anthony Watley’s 2018 season.
89%match
Matches Anthony on
Reception volume
Height
TD rate
Differs from Anthony on
Class year (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Camm McDonald’s path through Florida State.
90%match
Matches Camm on
Height
Yards per reception
Weight
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to River Helms's senior season at Georgia Southern (2026).
Matches River on
Total EPA (college ability)
EPA / play (adj)
Yards / reception
Player DNA
Players who play like Toby Payne
Background
R-SOPHOMORE SEASON (2024): Played in 13 games, starting 11 at tight end for the Herd. Caught 17 passes for 168 yards and 6 TDs for the Herd while also being a key blocker for the top-20 rushing attack and a key blocker on the kickoff return unit, which ranked as one of the nation's best. Caught a...
The tight end room · Marshall
- #81Toby Payne387 receiving yards · 2025
- #85Tracy Stephens18 receiving yards · 2025
- #80Shawn Rouseno box-score line yet
- #86Brandon Hettwerno box-score line yet
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology