Damon Payne Jr.
Damon Payne Jr.
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Nick Saban, Kalen DeBoer and Sherrone Moore. The receipt: 3 tackles against Michigan State — Week 9, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jim Harbaugh → Sherrone Moore. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kyle Whittingham
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 8 · 2025
W 24–7
vs Washington
1 TOT · 1 SOLO
How he plays
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Michigan
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Michigan
Returning around him
- 6 Michigan players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -16 net (17 in / 33 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Michigan · Last season: 9-4 (AP #18) · Talent rank #11 · 2026 recruiting class #12
DNA match
Player DNA
Nose Anchor
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tiaoalil Savea’s 2022 season.
Matches Tiaoalil on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Immanuel Hickman Sr.'s senior season at South Florida (2023).
Matches Immanuel on