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Michigan State misses out on landing in-state 5-star DT
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Michigan State was one of the five contenders for 5-star defensive tackle Damon Payne, but the Michigan native opted to pursue a college career at Alabama.
On Sunday, Payne announced his commitment to Alabama, picking the Crimson Tide over Arizona State, USC, Kentucky and Michigan State. All four of those programs were included in his top five. Payne made his announcement live on 247Sports/CBS Sports.
Payne is a native of Belleville, Michigan and is ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He’s also the top prospect from his home state and the top overall defensive tackle of the cycle, as well.
247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions had heavily favored Payne picking Alabama, so his commitment to the Tide didn’t come as a huge surprise.
During the 2019 season at Belleville High School, Payne recorded 59 total stops, which included an impressive 22 tackles for loss and 8 sacks on the year. He’s also participates in track and field, throwing both shot put and discus.
Michigan State currently has 12 players committed in the 2021 recruiting class. The Spartans rank 12th in the B1G and 62nd nationally.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB