Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield had high praise for one player in particular after spring ball ended and the team transitioned into summer workouts in preparation for the 2026 season opener against Boston College. That player was Gi'Bran Payne, a running back who transferred in from Notre Dame and attended Lasalle High School in Cincinnati.
Payne has been a part of the Fighting Irish since 2022, having his best season in 2023, where he carried the ball 45 times for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 3.6 yards per rush. Payne was out for the entire 2024 season with an ACL tear, which is why he didn't see the field much this past season. He finished the year with 9 carries for 53 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, despite being a backup to first-round picks Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price.
Satterfield had this to say about Payne: "You're thinking, well, he didn't play a whole lot at Notre Dame, well, they had two first-round draft picks. This guy turned a lot of heads this spring, from the players in the locker room to the coaching staff. He's a big physical runner who has some pretty good speed. I was really impressed with him."
The Cincinnati Bearcats running back room is likely to be dominated by Payne, along with help from Zion Johnson, who was a true freshman last season, and Cole Tabb, who transferred in from Stanford. The Bearcats have been a running-back room by committee the past couple of years under Satterfield, with players like Corey Kiner, Evan Pryor, and Tawee Walker. Look out for Payne and others to join that list of successful Bearcat running backs.
Who has Coach Satterfield fired up after spring ball?
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) May 14, 2026
Cincinnati native running back Gi'Bran Payne 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dStO1AXMvi
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