Taye Barber
{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Taye Barber
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team =
| number =
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|10|24}}
| birth_place = Cypress, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 182
| high_school = Cypress Springs
(Cypress, Texas)
| college = TCU (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
| status =
| highlights =
| statleague = NFL
| statseason =
| statweek =
| statlabel1 =
| statvalue1 =
| pfr = BarbTa00
}}
Taye Barber (born October 24, 1999) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at TCU and was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in {{NFL Year|2023}}.
Early life and education
Barber was born on October 24, 1999, in Cypress, Texas. He attended Cypress Springs High School there, played both quarterback and running back. Barber threw for 3,832 yards and 38 touchdowns while adding 832 yards rushing and 10 scores on the ground his sophomore year, which earned him earned second-team all-district honors. Barber transitioned to a running back as a senior, rushing for 805 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to totaling 10 receptions for 294 yards and a score. Barber was a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com, ranked as the No. 8 athlete in Texas and No. 42 in the nation, rated as the No. 76 overall player in Texas.{{Cite web|title=Taye Barber, TCU, Wide Receiver|url=https://247sports.com/player/taye-barber-86329/|website=247sports.com}}{{Cite web|title=Taye Barber - Football|url=https://gofrogs.com/sports/football/roster/taye-barber/14292|access-date=May 4, 2023|website=gofrogs.com|language=en}}
Barber had multiple offers from Clemson, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Wisconsin, but ultimately chose TCU over them.{{Cite web|title=Cypress Springs WR/DB Taye Barber Commits To TCU|date=July 31, 2017|access-date=May 6, 2023|author=Kelly, KP|url=https://texashsfootball.com/cypress-springs-wrdb-taye-barber-commits-tcu/|website=texashsfootball.com}}{{Cite web |title=TCU gains commitment from 3-star WR/CB Taye Barber|date=July 31, 2017|access-date=May 6, 2023|author=Plunklett, Jamie|url=https://www.frogsowar.com/platform/amp/2017/7/30/16066914/tcu-football-earns-commitment-from-receiver-recruit-taye-barber-ole-miss-iowa-state|website=frogsowar.com}}{{Cite web |title=Football Recruiting - Taye Barber - Player Profiles|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/_/id/220963/taye-barber|website=ESPN.com}}
College career
{{expand section|date=May 2023}}
=Freshman year=
Barber made an immediate impact as a true freshman with 300 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches on the season. Barber played in every game of the season for the Horned Frogs and had multiple catches on all but two occasions.{{Cite web |title=Recruiting report card: WR Taye Barber made an immediate impact, but vitals also look good for the rest of TCU's 2018 class|date=December 21, 2018|access-date=May 6, 2023|author=Straka, Dean|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/2018/12/21/recruiting-report-card-wr-taye-barber-made-an-immediate-impact-but-vitals-also-look-good-for-the-rest-of-tcu-s-2018-class/?outputType=amp|website=dallasnews.com}}{{Cite web |title=Taye Barber 2018 Game Log|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/gamelog/_/id/4362430/type/college/year/2018|website=ESPN.com}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 9 5/8
| weight = 180
| dash = 4.45
| ten split = 1.54
| twenty split = 2.60
| shuttle = 4.40
| cone drill = 7.13
| vertical = 32.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 7
| bench = 12
| arm span = 31 1/4
| hand span = 9 1/8
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1023978&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Taye Barber College Football Profile |access-date=July 12, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
Barber was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023.{{cite web|title=Bucs Officially Announce 18 UDFA Signings|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-officially-announce-18-udfa-signings-2023|author=Smith, Scott|website=Buccaneers.com|date=May 12, 2023}} He was waived on August 28.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2023/08/28/nolan-turner-deadrin-senat-kaylon-geiger-among-bucs-cuts/|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|title=Bucs release QB John Wolford, LB Patrick O’Connor, among others |author=Stroud, Rick|date=August 28, 2023}}