Report: Michigan football expected to make transfer portal splash with five-star commit

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If at first you don’t succeed, sometimes you’ve just gotta try again. And in a world where the transfer portal has now become a part of college football, sometimes things work out that way.

There was very little in the ways of success when it came to the recruitment of former Belleville (Mich.) five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne. The Wolverines used to have some issues recruiting out of his high school, but they have since been patched up (five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood and safety Elijah Dotson hail from there). But Payne had committed to Alabama, where he’s been since.

Until Tuesday.

Payne entered the transfer portal after joining the Tide in 2021. The former five-star appeared in 30 games and had 30 tackles, with three for loss, and half a sack in three seasons’ time. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, he ended up signing with the Wolverines.

 


Here is how Payne ranks in the transfer portal rankings:

* Ovr Pos
247Sports 3 85 –
On3 3 243 13

Payne will certainly have an inside track to start alongside Rayshaun Benny in 2025.

(Update: multiple reports indicate that this is premature, and that Payne is still going through the process. Both On3 and 247Sports reported that Payne had either committed or signed, contrary to other reports. Thus, we will continue to monitor.)

(Update 2: Payne had reportedly signed, but that signing has since been rescinded.)