JaVonta Payton
| No. 7 – Houston Gamblers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 7, 1998 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hillsboro (Nashville, Tennessee) |
| College | Northwest Mississippi C.C. (2017–2018) Mississippi State (2019–2020) Tennessee (2021) |
| NFL draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
JaVonta Cosby Payton (born October 7, 1998) is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, and Tennessee. He played for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the Orlando Guardians and Arlington Renegades of the XFL.
Early life
[edit]Payton attended and played high school football at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] He was considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.[2]
College career
[edit]Northwest Mississippi C.C.
[edit]Payton attended Northwest Mississippi Community College from 2017 to 2018 where he played 21 games, while recording 67 catches for 840 yards, and two touchdowns.[3]
Mississippi State University
[edit]Payton transferred to Mississippi State University in 2019, where he played in 22 games between 2019 and 2020, and recorded 28 receptions for 372 yards and one touchdown.[4]
University of Tennessee
[edit]Payton transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2021, where he played and started in all 12 games, and recorded 18 catches for 413 yards, and six touchdowns.[5] On January 17, 2022, Payton declared for the 2022 NFL draft.[6]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) |
175 lb (79 kg) |
31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) |
4.45 s | 1.58 s | 2.60 s | 4.68 s | 7.59 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) |
10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | |
| All values from Pro Day[7] | ||||||||||||
Arizona Cardinals
[edit]After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, Payton signed with the Arizona Cardinals on May 1, 2022.[8] He was released on August 30.[9] On September 14, Payton was re-signed to the Cardinals' practice squad, but was released the following day.[10].[11]
Orlando Guardians
[edit]On January 23, 2023, Payton signed with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL.[12]
Arlington Renegades
[edit]On March 6, 2023, Payton was traded from the Guardians to the Arlington Renegades of the XFL in a three-team trade with the Orlando Guardians, where Orlando received offensive tackle TJ Storment and the DC Defenders received tight end Alex Ellis.[13] On May 13, Payton won the 2023 XFL Championship with the Renegades, recording two receptions for 23 yards.[14]
After the XFL's 2023 season, on July 15, Payton worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles.[15] However, Payton re-signed with the Renegades on January 22, 2024.[16] He was placed on injured reserve on May 28.[17]
Louisville Kings
[edit]On January 12, 2026, Payton was allocated to the Louisville Kings of the United Football League (UFL).[18]
Houston Gamblers
[edit]On May 4, 2026, Payton was traded by Louisville to the Houston Gamblers in exchange for Lonnie Phelps.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "JaVonta Payton, Hillsboro, Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "JaVonta Payton, 2019 Wide Receiver, Mississippi St". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "JaVonta Payton – Football". Northwest Mississippi Community College Athletics. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "JaVonta Payton – Football". Mississippi State Bulldogs Athletics. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "JaVonta Payton – Football". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Owens, Tim (January 17, 2022). "Tennessee receiver Javonta Payton declares for NFL Draft". WATE 6 On Your Side. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "JaVonta Payton College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ^ Kwong, Andy (May 1, 2022). "2022 NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals Undrafted Free Agent Tracker". Revenge of the Birds. SB Nation. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Harralson, Dan (August 30, 2022). "Arizona cuts two former Vols". Vols Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Grindley, Wyatt (September 14, 2022). "Cardinals Make Five Practice Squad Moves". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Bouda, Nate (September 15, 2022). "Cardinals Sign WR Javon Wims To PS, Release WR JaVonta Payton". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Schumpert, Ryan (January 23, 2023). "Former Tennessee Receiver Sign To Play In XFL". Rocky Top Insider. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Miele, Angela (March 6, 2023). "Breaking 3 XFL Teams Trade Announced". Yardbarker. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Renegades 35–26 Defenders (May 13, 2023) Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Grindley, Wyatt (July 25, 2023). "Eagles Worked Out Seven Players Including WR N'Keal Harry". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "The UFL Agrees to Terms with 61 Players". UFLBoard.com. January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Transactions". UFLBoard.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Announces Selections for 2026 QB Draft and Regional College Allocation". www.theufl.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Larsen, James. "Gamblers & Kings Swap JaVonta Payton For Lonnie Phelps". PFNewsroom.com. Retrieved May 6, 2026.