Alabama transfer Damon Payne committed to Michigan last week.
Payne is listed at 6'4" and 313 lbs. He made 14 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss this past season with the Crimson Tide while playing in twelve games. Altogether, he has 30 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks over four seasons at Alabama. He was a 5-star, the #7 defensive lineman, and #24 overall in the class of 2021.
Payne is originally from Belleville (MI) Belleville and was offered by Michigan coming out of high school, but the Wolverines' strained relationship with Belleville made his recruitment basically a non-starter. Michigan has landed a couple Belleville products in recent years (Andre Seldon in 2020, Jeremiah Beasley in 2024), but both of them transferred before making any kind of impact; a few other Belleville products have committed but then decommitted, such as Aaron Alexander (UMass to Michigan State to Arkansas State) and Myles Rowser (Campbell to New Mexico to Arizona State).
Despite the 5-star ranking, Payne never made much of an impact at Alabama. After redshirting in 2021, he played mostly a backup role and managed just 2 total tackles for loss. With one year of eligibility remaining and Belleville superstar quarterback Bryce Underwood signing with the Wolverines for 2025, it seems Payne wanted to finish out his career near home and with a chance to make an impact.
Michigan is losing Mason Graham to the NFL and very likely could also lose Kenneth Grant to the draft, as well. Payne could potentially be a nose tackle starter next to 3-tech Rayshaun Benny. Other players in the mix to play include Trey Pierce and Ike Iwunnah, but Michigan seems to be looking for at least one more defensive tackle in the transfer portal. Payne managed an overall grade of just 62.3 in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, so he will likely be a significant step down from Graham/Grant. He was the #4 highest graded Defensive Interior player on Alabama's team with 100+ snaps (Payne played 288 snaps) on the season, so he's a playable entity but not a standout.
I consider this the biggest get of the portal to-date.
ReplyDeleteMichigan really needed a starting caliber player so that it didn't have to lean on guys like Pierce and Etta to take on bigger roles than they appear to be ready for at this time. I think we'll see that play out, ironically, in the bowl game against Alabama.
There's going to be a huge dropoff from Grant and Graham regardless of what happens. Even you recruited their replicas in the 2025 class you wouldn't get the all american level performance of those 2 in their junior seasons. That was a once-in-a-lifetime duo we had.
Getting Payne and (fingers crossed) keeping Benny gives you two above average starters. Payne's PFF grade isn't elite but you can project improvement in 2025, just like you can project improvement with Benny and the others. Michigan SHOULD have a DT rotation good enough to contend for a playoff spot if those 2 are healthy and the young guys get developed reasonably.
I would still like to see another DT added to the mix certainly, but at this point it doesn't feel like a must-have. Iwunnah (assuming he returns) is playable as a end-of-rotation guy, so the floor isn't that low. An upgrade would be nice though since we regularly use 5 or 6 guys on the interior rotation (Benny, Payne, Pierce, Etta, Iwunnah is 5) and I've seen some speculation that Etta is more like a Kris Jenkins swing guy than a nose.
The Belville narrative is such an eye-roll IMO. Anyone buying into this stuff should listen to the recent Sam Webb interview.
ReplyDeletehttps://omny.fm/shows/michigan-insider/007-jermain-crowell-talks-bryce-underwood-with-sam
Belleville has been sending people to Michigan both recently and historically. This goes way back to Ian Gold back in the day. Like any other high school sometimes the recruits pan out (Rowser) and sometimes they don't (Seldon / RIP). People just want this to be a "pipeline" to Michigan because they produce a lot of D1 talent and it's right next door. If anything you can maybe give Crowell some credit for getting his guys ranked a little higher than they should be -- impressive work, especially in Seldon's case.
Given Seldon had JUST committed to MIchigan in 2020 and didn't transfer till 2022, I think the bigger "non-starter" in 2021 was that Payne wanted to get paid and Michigan wasn't yet paying people the way it does now.
I strongly disagree. With a school near Ann Arbor producing high-level talent on a yearly basis, there should have been more talent heading to Michigan. There are ways to read between the lines with that Sam Webb interview. If you choose not to do it, that's fine.
DeleteWhen Cass Tech was the place to be, they were sending people to Michigan left and right. The same goes for West Bloomfield. But with Belleville? Not so much.
Isn't it crazy that Crowell left, and now Michigan has had four Belleville signees in the past year - Beasley, Dotson, Underwood, Payne?
Ian Gold graduated from Belleville in like 1996. Saying "The Belleville narrative is overblown! By golly, they signed Ian Gold in 1996 and then Andre Seldon in 2020!" suggests to me that you're old enough to the point where 24 years seems like nothing.
So you don't believe Webb when he asks Crowell about his affinity and fandom for Michigan? And you don't believe Crowell when he admits to being happy about where BU ended up? Sounds like both.
DeleteGold isn't all that relevant to now I agree (ancient history) but Seldon is. If Crowell was steering guys away, he wouldn't have come to Michigan. And Seldon isn't alone. I take Crowell at face value that he says he wants what is best for his kids and in many cases that may not have been Michigan, especially if Michigan wasn't paying for recruits.
As for Cass Tech -- that's an outlier. They have an alum ex-player as their head coach so a lot of guys have been encouraged to come to Michigan. If that's in their best interest or not is not for me to guess at, nor is it the point here.
The point is that plenty of local schools (MOST local schools) send guys to Michigan AND other major programs. Most local powerhouses are not blue pipelines (e.g., OLSM, Catholic Central, De La Salle, Detroit MLK). Belville is no different except for perhaps producing more than their fair share of talent in recent years (which again, hats of to Crowell because that wasn't always the case). Cass Tech is the outlier here, not Belville.
I think Michigan paying recruits is why we have 3 brand spanking new high cost recruits from Bellville. Narduzzi was complaining about being outbid by Michigan, and Payne and Underwood are even bigger sticker price players.
But yes, I'm old, and I've seen the pipeline talk and hopes a lot over the years and it's been hogwash in every single case except Cass Tech where the connection to UofM was obvious, overt, and open.
"Based on his own experience, Payne said Crowell never tried to steer him away from the Wolverines. “He never discouraged us or any other kids, ‘Don’t go to Michigan.,’” Payne Sr. said. “I haven’t witnessed ill-will toward Michigan from him.”"
DeleteThe next words in the article tell you what you need to know.
"But on the Wolverines message boards"....
"“I know it wasn’t Crowell,” Payne Sr. said. “I know it had nothing to do with him. When you look at my mailbox, it’s filled with other schools. Michigan didn’t contact us. That’s just the way it is, whether they want to believe it or not. They didn’t contact us. They didn’t reach out. They haven’t sent a text message, a letter, nothing. We haven’t heard from them. That’s what it comes down to. “I am a Michigan fan and they stopped recruiting us.”"
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2020/08/02/michigan-football-damon-payne-jermain-crowell-alabama-football/5552299002/
The article also hits on the fact that Crowell was active in helping and supporting Cass Tech be a pipeline to Michigan. So it's up to you if you want to buy into the words the people involved (and people like Sam Webb) have to say or if you want to buy into the message board histrionics.
"But Payne Sr. wondered if it may have had something to do with the tense relationship that has developed between his son’s coach at Belleville High School, Jermain Crowell, and Michigan"
DeleteThis lines up with the OP: "Payne is originally from Belleville (MI) Belleville and was offered by Michigan coming out of high school, but the Wolverines' strained relationship with Belleville made his recruitment basically a non-starter"
Tense relationship v strained relationship ... no one here has accused Crowell of screwing MICHIGAN's chances, but for the sake of disagreement, Lank is misrepresenting both statements
#exposed
No Jellllly - read the quote -- don't make up your own fantasies.
DeleteThe relationship can be strained or tense or whatever you want to call it - the Belville kids are telling you whether they come to Michigan (Seldon) or don't (Payne) the relationship of Crowell was not a negative factor the way it is portrayed on message boards.
Payne's dad is expressly and directly saying the recruitment was not a "non-starter", for one thing, and secondly that the relationship of Michigan and Crowell was not relevant to Payne. It is a player's dad directly contradicting the connection of these two things. It's a direct disagreement with "the OP". Crowell's relationship did NOT make the recruitment a non-starter. Not contacting said recruit made it a non-starter.
More Lank interpretations v actual, word-for-word quotes
DeleteI get it. You were bored on Christmas Eve, so you created an eye rolling debate about messenger boards. Not surprising at all
"“I know it had nothing to do with him." - Paynes Dad.
Delete" It has everything to do with him. Lank is just twisting the truth" - JeLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLy (paraphrased)
HOLD IT UP
Except no one here said that second quote ...
DeleteIt's almost like this is some sort of "fantasy" ... somethin, something, every accusation is a confession or whatever
Michigan didn't contact Damon Payne? Hmmm...well, here's an article about him visiting in January 2020:
Deletehttps://247sports.com/article/michigan-wolverines-big-recruiting-weekend-hosting-top-midwest-targets-142734558/
And here's an article about him visiting the Big House in 2019 for Michigan's 56-27 loss to Ohio State:
https://247sports.com/article/damon-payne-ohio-state-buckeyes-football-2019-139824254/
Oh, and here's an article saying he was visiting for the 42-7 win over Penn State in 2018:
https://247sports.com/article/michigan-with-another-great-showing-dominating-penn-state-in-front-of-touted-recruits--124216170/
It's weird how he ended up on campus so many times for games and such but the coaches didn't contact him.
@Thunder
DeleteNobody said Payne was never recruited by Michigan. What are you talking about?
Michigan STOPPED contacting Payne is what Payne's dad said.
"“I am a Michigan fan and they stopped recruiting us.”"
He never said Michigan never contacted him. This is a jelly-like argument from you Thunder where you are arguing with air.
I'll post the link again:
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2020/08/02/michigan-football-damon-payne-jermain-crowell-alabama-football/5552299002/
“He never discouraged us or any other kids, ‘Don’t go to Michigan.,’” Payne Sr. said. “I haven’t witnessed ill-will toward Michigan from him.”
The article is dated August 2020, after Payne committed in July of 2020. Visiting Michigan in January of 2020 leaves a 6 month window of time where Michigan could have not contacted Payne, potentially. That's a long time in the recruiting world.
DeletePayne's Dad could be lying about all of it, but why would he?
"Contact with Michigan defensive line coach, Shaun Nua — whom Payne Sr. called the “truth” and “the real deal” — ended abruptly. It all seemed so bizarre to a man who describes himself as a Michigan Man and a die-hard supporter who reads Wolverines fan sites and still plans to wear Maize and Blue the next time he sees his favorite college team play in person."
Guessing that Payne Sr (a Michigan fan) and Crowell (a Michigan fan) always wanted Payne to come to Michigan but Alabama did a better job recruiting him and gave him a better opportunity. Guessing further that that fandom (of Dad at least) played a role in him transferring to Michigan. I'm also guessing NIL played a big role.
Not a guess - this published article, with quotes, directly contradicts the narrative that "the Wolverines' strained relationship with Belleville made his recruitment basically a non-starter. "
And now you're here arguing about how the recruitment had started at least by 2018 and continued at least into January of 2020.
This multi-year narrative about Crowell steering guys away from Michigan has just been so blow up and none of it passes a basic sniff test. Seldon's commitment alone should be enough to rethink this nonsense. Crowell's authentic happiness about Underwood ending up in AA also should be enough on it's own. Payne's dad's quotes about Crowell not being a factor in that recruitment. Well....3 strikes and your out is how it goes in baseball.
Somethin, somethin 'every accusation is a confession'
Deleteje93 on 26 Dec at 1:54 PM:
"But Payne Sr. wondered if it may have had something to do with the tense relationship that has developed between his son’s coach at Belleville High School, Jermain Crowell, and Michigan"
This lines up with the OP: "Payne is originally from Belleville (MI) Belleville and was offered by Michigan coming out of high school, but the Wolverines' strained relationship with Belleville made his recruitment basically a non-starter"
Tense relationship v strained relationship ... no one here has accused Crowell of screwing MICHIGAN's chances, but for the sake of disagreement, Lank is misrepresenting both statements
#exposed
**********************
This started with your "eyeroll" take on the OP, which YOU countered with an article in which Payne's father made a near-identical take ... since then you've guessed, invented arguments, and failed to support your your lie. I get it. You're bored. Lonely. Desperate for debate
Facts based on word-for-word quotes ... too much to overcome
DeleteDoes not line up. Payne's Dad "wondered" if the rumor had something to do with why Michigan stopped recruiting his kid. That's not a "non-starter" for the recruitment, THAT HAPPENED - as Thunder outlines.
DeletePayne directly contradicts the statement. As quoted above. But here you are -- Every accusation is a confession -- "bored. Lonely. Desperate for debate"
"d0eS not liNe uP"
DeleteYour interpretation or lack of understanding is not of concern here. Mr Payne's & Thunder's quotes do in fact, line up
Your eye roll got you the debate you desparately wanted, but you lost
No it's directly contradicted. Sorry you don't like the facts.
DeleteHold up another one.
Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe thing between Crowell and Zordich was real and would likely be continuing had Crowell not screwed the pooch himself. Crowell was deeply offended when Zordich called out Lavert Hill in the press over supposed toughness issues, and likely ain't over it still.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few Cass Tech folks were unhappy as well.
http://www.diehardsport.com/college-football/local-hs-football-coach-is-not-happy-with-michigan/
And yet...Seldon (one of the higher ranked DBs to come out of that school) came to Michigan to play for Zordich shortly after this.
DeleteCrowell calling out Zordich in this case doesn't mean he hates Michigan anymore than Stanford's Jim Harbaugh calling out Michigan academics meant that he hated Michigan. He's just calling somebody out for publicly calling out players.
Oh yeah, and Zordich was let go eventually for (rumor has it) being the opposite of a players coach. He seemed like a pretty good Xs and Os and development guy to me and many others. But he was let go. Hmmmm.
Give me one more! Let's get that guy from wazzup, and then a Corner to wrap up Defense until Spring ...
ReplyDeleteOffense needs OL or two, WR or two, and maybe a TE
*Wazzu
ReplyDelete