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After a whirlwind of a day for Michigan in its recruitment of former five-star defensive lineman Damon Payne Jr. it has finally ended in a positive way for the Wolverines. Payne went to Instagram<\/a> on Wednesday night and announced he would be committing to Michigan which finally put an end to wondering what happened?<\/p>\n \u2014 Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n It was initially reported on Wednesday morning that Payne was committing to Michigan, but his agent refuted the report and said the Wolverines were contenders but he hadn’t committed to Michigan. At that point, Payne was supposedly lining up a visit with USC. But Payne ended all the speculation when he announced he would be coming back home. <\/p>\n Payned signed with Alabama in the 2021 class and was a five-star recruit. He was the 24th-ranked prospect at the time and hailed from Belleville (MI) — the same school Bryce Underwood is from. Payne is currently the 146th-ranked recruit in the transfer portal,\u00a0per On3<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n During his Alabama career, the 313-pound lineman has recorded 30 tackles and 0.5 sacks. With Michigan losing Mason Graham and potentially Kenneth Grant, Payne could play a major factor for Michigan in 2025. He has one year of eligibility remaining. <\/p>\n –\u00a0Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on\u00a0Michigan Wolverines On SI\u00a0–<\/a><\/p>\n Column: 5 transfer QBs Michigan Football should target<\/a><\/p>\n Michigan is a ‘school to watch’ for dynamic WR who entered the transfer portal<\/a><\/p>\n Report: Michigan to host top-ranked RB out of the transfer portal<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nMore Michigan News:<\/h2>\n