Payton Matthews holds the WR-X · Starter spot in Rice Owls’s wide receiver room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Payton Matthews logged a 1.9% overall usage rate in 2025.

Payton Matthews is a sophomore receiver for Rice who hails from San Antonio, Texas, where he attended Harlan High School as a three-year starter and two-time all-district selection. He recorded 1,978 receiving yards, 957 rushing yards, and 38 total touchdowns across his high school career. In his 2025 true freshman season, Matthews appeared in 209 offensive snaps and caught four passes for 93 yards, including a season-long 54-yard reception in the Armed Forces Bowl. He made his collegiate debut against Prairie View and logged his highest single-game snap count of 32 against Texas State.

Rice2025 — present