PRESS RELEASE: MARSHALL ATHLETICS
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football had 11 players honored by Phil Steele Publications as 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selections, including five players being named as Preseason All-SBC First Team honorees.
Those being named as 2026 Preseason All-SBC First Team honorees include quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, wide receiver Adrian Norton, tight end Toby Payne, offensive lineman Jalen Slappy and defensive back Daytione Smith.
“We are happy to see our guys get recognized and thank Phil Steele for recognizing the talent we have returning for the 2026 season,” Marshall head coach Tony Gibson said. “There are plenty of reasons to get excited for this 2026 season and these guys have a big part to do with that!”
Del Rio-Wilson leads all returning quarterbacks in the Sun Belt in production and also leads all returning Sun Belt players in rushing yards, making him one of the league favorites for 2026 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
The Atlanta, Ga., native started 10 games last season, throwing for 2,043 yards with 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions while also breaking a Marshall single-season record for a quarterback with 661 rushing yards and another six touchdowns.
Del Rio-Wilson completed 67 percent of his passes and finished with a 151.8 quarterback rating. He also returns two Phil Steele All-SBC First Team selections as top targets for 2026: senior tight end Toby Payne and senior wide receiver Adrian Norton.
Payne returns to the mix after being named a 2025 All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honoree at tight end. The Poca, W.Va., native caught 37 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns during his junior season in 2025.
Norton proved himself as a reliable target in big moments for the Herd, catching 27 passes for 363 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. No catch was bigger than a late-game touchdown catch against Texas State that gave the Herd a lead to aid the team in an overtime victory. The senior will be called on for increased production in his second season with the team.
Senior Jalen Slappy was the Herd’s fourth Phil Steele First Team honoree this year. The Columbus, Ohio, native has been a fixture on the Herd offensive line throughout his career with 30 starts in the last three seasons for teams who have consistently finished in the top-20 nationally in rushing yards.
Defensively, Marshall’s Daytione Smith earns the nod as a Phil Steele First-Team Defense honoree after having 50 tackles and three interceptions in 2025.
Smith’s three interceptions are tied among all returning SBC defensive players for tops in the league coming into the 2026 season.
In addition to the five First-Team honorees, Marshall had three players each on the Phil Steele All-SBC Second and Third Teams.
The Phil Steele All-SBC Second Team honorees included linebackers Javae Gilmore (63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss) and Jalen Marshall (5 tackles, missed much of season with torn ACL), as well as kick returner Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw (510 kick return yards, 22.5 average).
Phil Steele All-SBC Third Team honorees include offensive lineman Tariq Montgomery and defensive linemen Braydin Ward (15 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles) and Mikailin Warren (8 tackles in 6 games).
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