Damon Payne

Damon Payne Jr. (born April 15, 2003) is an American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines. Payne was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2026.

Early life Payne was born on April 15, 2003, and attended Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan. He played prep football and was ranked as the No. 39 overall player in the country in the 2021 college football recruiting class by 247Sports, holding offers from Michigan, Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Oregon, USC, Penn State and Oklahoma. Payne committed to play college football for Nick Saban and Alabama in July 2020.

College career Alabama In 2021, Payne enrolled at the University of Alabama and used his freshman year to redshirt. From 2022 to 2024, he had 30 tackles with a half sack. Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach in December 2024 said: "Payne's done a really good job; he's improved a lot. He played some last year, is playing a good amount this year and we look forward to watching him play even more. He works his butt off. He's really good kid, mature kid, who helps the young guys out." After his senior season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Michigan In December 2024, Payne transferred to his home-state to attend the University of Michigan, playing for the Wolverines in his final season.

College statistics

Professional career

Payne signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2026. Payne was released by Kansas City on August 30, losing the final defensive line roster spot to Marcus Harris.