The Alabama exodus continues as junior defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne is reportedly headed to the NFL early following his junior season. He’s expected to be a top selection in the upcoming draft.

Payne arrived in Tuscaloosa as a five-star prospect coming out of high school and was a regular on the Crimson Tide defensive line all throughout his three-year playing career.

New of Payne’s departure was first reported by Matt Zenitz of AL.com.

His performance in the Playoff drew rave reviews from the coaches participating in ESPN’s coverage on the Coaches Film Room presentation of the games. At one point during the championship broadcast, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy suggested Payne’s Playoff performance had likely earned him $20 million dollars at the next level.