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Damon Payne

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Damon Payne
No. 90 – Kansas City Chiefs
PositionDefensive tackle
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2003-04-15) April 15, 2003 (age 23)
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight311 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High schoolBelleville (Belleville, Michigan)
College
NFL draft2026: undrafted
Career history

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

Early life

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Payne was born on April 15, 2003,[1] 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.[2]

College career

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Alabama

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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."[3] After his senior season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Michigan

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In December 2024, Payne transferred to his home-state to attend the University of Michigan, playing for the Wolverines in his final season.[4][5]

College statistics

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Year Team Games Tackles
GPSoloAstCombTFLSacks
2022Alabama 54370.50.0
2023Alabama 1418910.5
2024Alabama 1259140.50.0
2025Michigan 12861410.0
Career 43 18 26 44 3 0.5

[6]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanWingspan40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 3+3⁄8 in
(1.91 m)		308 lb
(140 kg)		32 in
(0.81 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		6 ft 4+3⁄4 in
(1.95 m)		5.42 s1.79 s3.06 s4.85 s7.93 s26.0 in
(0.66 m)		8 ft 4 in
(2.54 m)		20 reps
All values from Pro Day[7]

Payne signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2026.[8][9]

References

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  1. ↑ "Damon Payne Jr. Defensive Line Alabama". nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ Nick McCabe (July 28, 2020). "Belleville 2021 five-star DT Payne commits to Alabama". Lansing State Journal. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Creg Stephenson (December 30, 2023). "Alabama's Damon Payne 'thrilled' to be facing home-state Wolverines in Rose Bowl". ALcom.
  4. ↑ Tony Garcia (December 18, 2024). "Michigan football reportedly lands Alabama transfer Damon Payne, but move not done yet". Detroit Free Press.
  5. ↑ Sam Murphy (December 19, 2024). "Former Alabama defensive lineman Damon Payne to sign with the Michigan Wolverines". Yahoo Sports.
  6. ↑ "Damon Payne Jr". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Damon Payne College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ Broome, Anthony (April 26, 2026). "Michigan DT Damon Payne signed by Kansas City Chiefs". On3.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  9. ↑ McMullen, Matt (May 1, 2026). "Breaking Down the Chiefs 2026 Undrafted Free Agent Class". Chiefs.com.
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