Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-15vs Boston College | 14 | 108 | 7.7 | 0 | 31 | Season-high 108 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 62-10vs Western Carolina | 12 | 102 | 8.5 | 2 | 40 | |
| Total | 26 | 210 | 8.1 | 2 | 40 |
#6
Gi'Bran Payne
Senior running back for Cincinnati. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 208 lb · Cincinnati, OH · La Salle
CFB Index 37 · #238 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Notre Dame → Cincinnati 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
210
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 8.1 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far
The play that turned itSwung Cincinnati from 63% to 100% to win.Boston College at Cincinnati · 34-15
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for Cincinnati. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Notre Dame in 2022.
- Transferred from Notre Dame to Cincinnati in 2026.
Gi'Bran Payne
Wins in space out of the backfield. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Marcus Freeman and Scott Satterfield. The receipt: 108 rush yds against Boston College — Week 1, 2026.
210 RUSH YDS · 2 RUSH TD · 26 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Notre Dame4-star out of LaSalle
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Luke Fickell → Scott Satterfield. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Cincinnati
2025Notre Dame
2026Cincinnati
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Notre Dame9-4HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-heavy
2023Notre Dame10-3HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Notre Dame10-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Cincinnati2-0HC: Scott Satterfield · Run-heavy
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / carry (93rd percentile). Concern: carries (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: 105 YDS/g, 8.1 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Scott Satterfield
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.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cincinnati | 26 | 210 | 8.1 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 45 | 168 | 3.7 | 2 | -- |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 82 | 436 | 5.3 | 4 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cincinnati | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 9 | 58 | 6.4 | 2 | -- |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 11 | 72 | 6.5 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 62–10
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Boston College · 2&9 · Q1 · EPA +3.08No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush middle for 31 yards gain to the BCE31 (#2 K.Price), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.92(05:06) Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush right for 17 yards gain to the WCU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:03, 1ST DOWN #99 S.Rusnak kick attempt good (H: #31 M.Fletcher, LS: #48 E.Stein)
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 2&1 · Q3 · EPA +2.70(09:18) Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush middle for 40 yards gain to the WCU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 09:10, 1ST DOWN #99 S.Rusnak kick attempt good (H: #31 M.Fletcher, LS: #48 E.Stein)
- Week 1 · Boston College · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA +1.63Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush right for 9 yards gain to the BCE01 (#17 D.Green; #7 C.Davis), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Boston College · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.25No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush left for 9 yards gain to the CIN34 (#3 M.Tucker)
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.07(09:42) Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush middle for 9 yards gain to the WCU40 (#17 J.Mack; #25 C.Young Jr)
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.98(07:31) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush left for 8 yards gain to the WCU49 (#4 A.Jackson Jr.)
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +0.67(04:17) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush middle for 5 yards gain to the WCU05 (#2 N.Simpson-Nealy), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Western Carolina · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA -0.64(13:17) #6 G.Payne rush middle for 1 yard loss to the WCU02 (#16 C.Kerns; #4 A.Jackson Jr.)
- Week 1 · Boston College · 2&4 · Q3 · EPA -0.64No Huddle-Shotgun #6 G.Payne rush right for 1 yard loss to the BCE22 (#1 A.Palano)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Brandon Campbell’s 2022 season.
82%match
Matches Brandon on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Weight
Differs from Brandon on
EPA / carry (adj) (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Brandon Campbell's sophomore season at Houston (2022).
84%match
Matches Brandon on
Yards / reception
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Gi'Bran Payne
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #110
Peaked at #110 this season.
The backfield · Cincinnati
- #7Zylan Perry689 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Cole Tabb445 rushing yards · 2025
- #13Zion Johnson106 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Gi'Bran Payne53 rushing yards · 2025
- #25James Lewis1 game · 2026
2 more on the roster · Cincinnati team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology