#6 Patrick Payton Season 2026
2025 LSU Graduate (Interdisciplinary Studies)
CAREER
Elite edge rusher who spent 1 season at LSU … Played first 4 seasons at Florida State before transferring to LSU for his final season … Appeared in 53 games with 39 starts, including all 13 games as a senior at LSU … 145 career tackles to go along with 36.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks … 21 career quarterback hurries and batted down 19 passes … In his 1 season at LSU in 2025, tallied 34 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and a sack … Started 26 games in 4 seasons at Florida State, recording 31.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks during that span … Starter in all 14 games during Florida State’s 13-1 season that saw them win the ACC Championship and play in the Orange Bowl … Graduate from LSU in December of 2025 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
SENIOR SEASON (2025 at LSU)
Starter in all 13 games in his only season at LSU in 2025 … Capped season with 34 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and a sack … Added 9 quarterback hurries and batted down 6 passes at the line of scrimmage … Credited with half-sacks against Florida and South Carolina … Finished season with a tackle for loss in 3 straight games – Western Kentucky, at Oklahoma and vs. Houston in the Texas Bowl … Had season-best 5 tackles, a quarterback hurry and 2 passes broken up at Ole Miss … Tallied 4 tackles in 3 games – South Carolina, at Vanderbilt and vs. Houston in the Texas Bowl.
JUNIOR SEASON (2024 at Florida State)
Started all 12 games at edge rusher for Florida … Recorded 35 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks … Added 4 quarterback hurries … Had career-highs of 3.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in win over California … Other sack came against Memphis for an 8-yard loss … Had at least 1 tackle for loss in 7 games, including 2 against both Clemson and Charleston Southern … Season-high 5 tackles against California and Charleston Southern … Blocked a third quarter field goal against Clemson … 4 tackles and a tackle for loss against Notre Dame … Had 4 tackles against Clemson and Duke.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023 at Florida State)
Started all 14 games, recording 44 tackles, including 14.5 for loss with 7.0 sacks, 10 pass breakups, 7 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles … Honorable mention All-ACC … Pass breakups total was highest by ACC defensive lineman since 2016 and tied for fourth in ACC in 2023 … Tackles for loss total led team and tied for 6th in ACC … Tied career-high with 7 tackles, 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, 2 quarterback hurries and 1 pass breakup in ACC Championship Game victory vs. No. 14 Louisville … Also made 7 tackles, 2.0 for loss, with 2 pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in 58-13 win vs. North Alabama … Tied career-high with 2.0 sacks as part of 5-tackle game in 24-15 victory at Florida … Recorded 4 solo tackles, including career-best 3.0 for loss with career-high 2.0 sacks, in 41-16 win at Wake Forest … Registered 3 solo tackles, including 1.0 sack, and 2 pass breakups in 31-24 victory at Clemson … Final pass breakup deflected fourth-down pass in overtime to clinch win at Clemson … Made 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup in season-opening 45-24 victory vs. No. 5 LSU … Had 2.0 tackles for loss in 31-29 win at Boston College … Made then-career-high six tackles, 1.5 for loss, and 1 forced fumble in 39-17 win vs. Virginia Tech … Posted career-best 3 quarterback hurries and 1 solo tackle in 38-20 win vs. No. 16 Duke … Had 1 quarterback hurry and 1 pass breakup in 24-7 win at Pitt… Made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in 27-20 victory vs. Miami … Recorded 2 tackles, 1.0 sack, and a forced fumble in Orange Bowl vs. No. 6 Georgia.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (2022 at Florida State)
Played in all 13 games with no starts … Tallied 31 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks … Added 3 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry … ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year… FSU’s first ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year since 2012 and third in program history… Devaughn Darling Defensive Freshman of the Year… Freshman All-American Honorable Mention by College Football News… Led ACC freshmen with 5.0 sacks, including 4.0 in ACC play… Ranked sixth in conference with 38 sack yards lost in ACC games …15 tackles against ranked opponents was tied for fourth-highest total among ACC’s freshmen and led all ACC freshman defensive linemen … Recorded career-high 6 tackles and 1 pass breakup at No. 14 NC State … Had 5 tackles, including 1.0 sack, vs. No. 22 Wake Forest… Made 4 tackles vs. No. 4 Clemson… Recorded 3 solo tackles, including 1.0 sack, first collegiate forced fumble and a pass breakup in 45-3 victory at Miami … Made 2 solo stops, 1.0 sack, in 38-3 win at Syracuse …Had 1.0 tackle for loss in 41-16 win vs. Georgia Tech… Registered 2 solo tackles, 1.0 sack, in 35-32 Cheez-It Bowl victory vs. Oklahoma … Had 3 tackles and a sack in 44-14 win vs. Boston College… Made 2 tackles in season-opening 47-7 win vs. Duquesne… Had 1 solo stop in 35-31 win at Louisville… Recorded 1 tackle, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup in 49-17 win vs. Louisiana-Lafayette … Made 1 tackle in 45-38 victory vs. Florida.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2021 at Florida State)
Made his collegiate debut in win over UMass … Redshirted after appearing in 1 game.
HIGH SCHOOL
Rated with 4 stars, No. 7 at his position nationally and No. 18 overall in Florida by 247Sports… Helped lead Miami Northwestern to region quarterfinal round of 5A state playoffs in shortened senior season … Earned first-team All-Dade 8A-5A recognition after helping lead Bulls to 5A state championship in his junior season … Collected 17.5 sacks that year, including 5.0 vs. eventual 8A state champion Miami Columbus, to pace defense that allowed only 12.4 points per game.
PATRICK PAYTON’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 7, 2x (First: vs. North Alabama, 2023; Last: vs. Louisville, 2023)
Tackles for loss: 3.5 vs. California, 2024
Sacks: 3 vs. California, 2024
QB Hurries: 3 vs. Duke, 2023