VJ Payne
VJ Payne
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Fourth year in the Kansas State secondary, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Arizona — Week 3, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
How it ended
Four seasons at Kansas State, 194 tackles — drafted at #228 overall by New York.
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Chris Klieman.
Where He Ended Up · NFL
New York2026 NFL rookie season
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Collin Klein
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kansas State | 59 | 40 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Kansas State | 64 | 40 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Kansas State | 57 | 44 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Kansas State | 14 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 194 | 134 | 10.5 | 1.0 | 9 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 38–35
vs North Dakota
1 TFL · 3 SOLO · 3 TOT
Edged out North Dakota at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to VJ Payne’s 2023 season.
Matches VJ on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Smael Mondon Jr.'s senior season at Georgia (2024).
Matches Smael on