Ad Disclosure
Alabama defensive lineman Damon Payne is set to enter the transfer portal, according to a report.
That news was first shared by 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Tuesday morning. Payne, a former 5-star recruit from the class of 2021, will play his final season of college football elsewhere after spending 4 years in Tuscaloosa.
Payne was the No. 24 overall player and the No. 7 defensive lineman in the country for the class of 2021, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He was also the No. 1 player from the state of Michigan. Payne initially committed to former Alabama coach Nick Saban, but chose to stick around during Alabama’s transition to Kalen DeBoer.
Payne departs Alabama with 30 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in his career.
With Payne and others expected to depart, Alabama will surely look to be active in the transfer portal looking for defensive line depth this offseason. The Crimson Tide have not yet landed a transfer commitment in this cycle, but that could change in the coming days or weeks.
As for his next destination, Zenitz linked Payne with a return to his home state to play for the Michigan Wolverines. Payne attended Belleville High School — the same high school where No. 1 overall 2025 recruit Bryce Underwood starred this past fall.
Alabama and Michigan will face off in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
