Alabama has commitments from the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle, the No. 2 offensive guard and the No. 1 center in college football's 2021 recruiting cycle.
On Sunday afternoon, the Crimson Tide provided them the potential of some stout competition in future practices.
Damon Payne, the nation's No. 1 defensive tackle prospect out of Michigan's Belleville High School, gave Alabama a nonbinding pledge via an appearance on CBSsports.com. The 6-foot-4, 297-pounder is the nation's No. 14 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
"It felt like home," Payne told CBS when asked about his decision. "There is no other place like it. It's the greatest place on earth. I've known I've wanted to go there for a long time, and I felt like it was time to make my decision."
Alabama's 16th commitment for 2021 is not related to Da'Ron Payne, the five-star defensive tackle from Shades Valley High in Birmingham who signed with the Tide in 2015 and was selected by Washington as the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Damon Payne is also a track and field standout at Belleville, with personal bests of 52 feet in the shot put and 133 feet, 3 inches in the discus.
Twin brothers Tommy and James Brockermeyer out of Fort Worth, Texas, are the nation's top tackle and center prospect, respectively, while Terrence Ferguson of Fort Valley, Georgia, is the No. 2 guard. Alabama also has pledges from the nation's No. 5 offensive tackle prospect, JC Latham of IMG Academy in Brandenton, Florida, and the No. 2 weakside defensive end recruit, Dallas Turner of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Payne gives Alabama six of the nation's top-50 prospects for the 2021 cycle, with Ohio State continuing to lead the way with seven. The Buckeyes and Tide have the top two classes, with Oregon, Tennessee and LSU rounding out the top five.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.
Contributed photo / Damon Payne