ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- It's something of a homecoming for Damon Payne, the former five-star who left Belleville for Alabama. And after transferring to Michigan this offseason, he's loving the change of scenery thus far.
"Just talking about the family aspect," Payne said. "Besides me being from up the street, they do make this place feel like home."
There are a lot of connection points for Payne. He used to be a regular visitor to Ann Arbor for games back when he was a recruit. He has a former teammate in Tuscaloosa who joined him with the Wolverines and the new star of the team, Bryce Underwood, went to the same high school -- though they had no overlap.