LSU transfer portal signee [autotag]Patrick Payton[/autotag] received high praise from On3 this week.
Pete Nakos ranked the former Florida State edge rusher as the No. 10 most impactful transfer of the 2025 class and is the only defensive player on the list. He came in just behind former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who committed to Miami.
John Mather, a quarterback who transferred from Washington State to Oklahoma, leads the list at No. 1.
In addition to Mather and Beck, three other quarterbacks received recognition. Duke’s Darian Mensah came in at No. 4 while Colorado’s Kaidon Salter and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza ranked No. 6 and 8, respectively.
Payton joins the Tigers after three seasons at Florida State. In his career, he has 109 tackles, 16 sacks, 12 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.
According to On3’s Industry Rankings, Payton was the No. 4 defensive end and No. 25 overall player in the 2025 transfer cycle. 247Sports is even higher on Payton, slotting him as the top defensive transfer of the cycle.