10 things to know about 4-star, recent Penn State commit Lamont Payne

Penn State picked up its second commitment in the Class of 2023 Saturday when Bridgeville, Pa., Chartiers Valley corner Lamont Payne told Nittany Lions coach James Franklin he was in at Beaver Stadium's 50-yard-line.

A Rivals250 prospect, Payne made up his mind prior to arriving in State College for the White Out game opposite Auburn, but he wanted to wait to make his decision known until he walked out to shake Franklin's hand and take a photo on the field during warmups.

How important is landing Payne for Penn State? Here's the commitment breakdown.

Penn State was not the first school to offer Payne, a four-star who stands 6-foot-1, 170 pounds. That honor went to Kent State, but the Nittany Lions jumped on board back in April of this year, and the relationship grew from there.

Payne was actually surprised that the PSU offer was extended.

“I didn’t think they were going to offer me,” he told Rivals at the time. “It was kind of a shock because I haven’t really had much contact with them.

“I called Coach Terry and talked to him for a little bit and then he put on Coach (James) Franklin. He said he wanted to offer me in person but because of COVID he said he wanted to call and offer me. That was a big one for me. I was at track practice and I was with my friends. I put it on speaker and they were excited.”

Payne did not announce a list of top schools, and he didn't set a commitment date. Instead, he visited Penn State multiple times this summer once the dead period gave way to a quiet period that allowed such opportunities again. His connection with corners coach Terry Smith and others grew during each of those trips (two in June and one in July), and that put PSU in position to seal the deal on Saturday.

Pitt and West Virginia were the only other schools that received visits this offseason. In full, though, seven programs offered. One is left to wonder if more would have if not for the pandemic, which zapped both coach travel and camps.

As we mentioned above, Payne visited often, and in July, he was on commitment watch when it came to town one final time before preseason practices began.

“Honestly, I thought about doing it way sooner,” Payne told BWI. “When I camped with them in the summer, I was feeling it, but my dad and I talked and we decided that it wasn’t good to rush it. He was right, and that allowed me to take a few more visits."

The decision to wait worked, as it led to such a special moment for him and his family. Franklin immediately hugged the corner and then each member of his family after he committed, and then they posed for a group photo on the field. It was a neat, and unique, moment.

Rivals gives Payne a 5.8 rating, which makes him a four-star. He is the No. 228 nationally, the No. 32 corner, and No. 8 in PA for the Class of 2023.

National Rivals' recruiting analyst Adam Friedman believes Payne is a big get for the Nittany Lions. Here's his scouting report:

"Payne is a physical defensive back with good instincts and the length to give receivers and quarterbacks problems. In the camp and 7-on-7 setting, Payne has shown crisp footwork and a solid understanding of coverage schemes. He's had plenty of success playing press coverage and using his speed and footwork to keep the receiver from getting separation. Payne is also very good at playing off the ball and breaking on passes thrown in front of him, using his long arms to knock passes down or grab interceptions. He has a lean frame that can hold more solid mass but it's his size and speed combination that makes him a tough matchup for big and small receivers."

“One thing I really like is that they’re very diverse at Penn State,” Payne told BWI. “Black, white, whatever, it’s just a great combination there and they’re a family. I really like that about their program. I also love the community.

"Like I told you before, when we went on that scavenger hunt during the Lasch Bash, we had fans supporting us, and that was just on a visit. I thought that was really cool. They just show a lot of love."

Here is Penn State's 2023 class sorted by commitment timeline:

July 15, 2021: Four-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier

Sept. 18, 2021: Four-star corner Lamont Payne

A look at Penn State's 2023 commits by position:

1 - Offensive line

1 - Corner

A breakdown of the Nittany Lions commits by state (based on where they play today):

1 - Pennsylvania

1 - Virginia

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