Alabama Getting Explosive Athlete in 2021 Signee DT Damon Payne
The defensive trenches is always a priority at the University of Alabama and, in the 2021 recruiting class, it hit a home run with nose tackle Damon Payne.
Payne, a native of Belleville, Mich., joined the Crimson Tide's class at the end of July over Kentucky, Arizona State, USC, and LSU.
"He is an explosive athlete," Belleville High School coach Jermain Crowell previously told Bama Central. "A cerebral athlete who is committed to winning and he is a great teammate and great community guy. Damon is a very hard worker...
"I think he is going to play on Sundays."
The 6-foot-4, almost-300 pound lineman made it official by inking with the Crimson Tide on Wednesday during Early Signing Day. He will not enroll early, but will join the program next summer.
Alabama generally rotates a lot of guys in-and-out on the defensive line during the summer and, with Payne's skill and athleticism, he'll have a real shot at making an impact early on at the Capstone.
SIAA ranks Payne as the 12th best player in the country and second-best interior defensive lineman:
Prospect: DL Damon Payne
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 295 pounds
School: Belleville (Mich.) Belleville
Committed to: Alabama
Frame: Thick chest with some baby fat to lose. Adequate definition in traps and arms. Big legs and hips.
Athleticism: Throws shot put and discus in track and field. Plays left tackle on offense. Fires out with quick first step to engage. Strong and tough inside. Very good body quickness when asked to play in single gap. Plays with force and power. Surprisingly nimble with good change of direction in pursuit. Has good short-area quickness to finish.
Instincts: Solid ball-location skills post snap. Quick scheme read versus run. Very good body sync/coordination when clearing near-leg and hips at the point. Will chase and pursue backside. Relies heavily on swim/arm-over versus run and as a pass-rusher. Flashes an occasional swipe.
Polish: Plays across defensive front, lining up as 0, 1, 3, and even some 5-technique. Is versatile enough to penetrate and 2-gap. Has mass, along with enough quickness and change of direction ability to contribute early in career. Needs to improve block awareness when pursuing backside. Also must add more to hand-usage toolbox in both run and pass.
Bottom Line: On the hoof, Payne initially appears to be an old-school nose tackle. However, there is far more to his game than that, as he has surprising athleticism and nimble feet for a big man. He’s versatile to factor in A and B gaps in various technique alignments across the defensive front. While he is still learning there are no limits to what he can do with his hands, Payne projects as a defensive tackle in a scheme that involves 2-gap principles with also some gap reduction concepts.
