LSU football is in good shape for 5-star DL from Michigan

LSU football is making a move for five-star defensive lineman Damon Payne.

2021 five-star defensive lineman Damon Payne is one of the top players in the nation and LSU football is squarely in the mix to land him.

Payne, 6-foot-4/297 lbs from Belleville, MI, recently told 247Sports that LSU is among the programs in his top ten schools.

The Michigan native is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 3 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 27 overall player in the nation.

Payne told 247Sports that Alabama and LSU are the schools recruiting him the hardest. He noted that the more he’s talked with Ed Orgeron and the Tigers staff, the more he’s “connected with them”.

Jermain Crowell, Payne’s high school coach at Belleville, recently visited Baton Rouge with Payne and was impressed by LSU’s staff. Crowell called the Tigers staff “detailed and thorough”, adding “we were impressed and they were working out there”.

Payne is absolutely a player that LSU should work hard to land. According to Crowell, Payne “is articulate, he’s cerebral, he’s a thinker and he doesn’t just follow the crowd”. Crowell also said Payne is simply focused on football, saying “He’s not into attention. He’s not into social media. He’s just a different kind of kid.”

247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu says Payne “looks college ready” and is a “strong, powerful kid who can drive blockers back into the backfield”. Trieu said Payne should be an “early contributor” in college.

Payne currently doesn’t have a timeline for a decision.