Damon Payne was in ninth grade the first time he visited Alabama, and on Sunday, the Belleville defensive tackle announced he was committing to play for the Crimson Tide.
A five-star prospect and the top defensive tackle in the nation according to the composite rankings at 247sports, Payne turned down offers from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Oregon, Kentucky and Oklahoma to join Nick Saban’s program.
“I just knew where I wanted to go," Payne told 247Sports.