Vols Commit D’Andre Payne Named A Rivals Camp Series Top Defensive Back

Nov 10, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of the Tennessee Volunteers logo on the field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Missouri defeated Tennessee 51-48 in quadruple overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Rivals.com is continuing to roll out their top “Rivals Camp Series” performers by position. On Wednesday they released their top defensive backs, among those on the list is Tennessee commit D’Andre Payne.

Payne comes in at 14th on the list (out of 42). Here’s what Rivals had to say about the Vol commit.

"Payne is a pure cover corner who will be in the hip pocket of a receiver, regardless of the route. A Tennessee commit, Payne was very strong and physical in press coverage and showed good leaping ability, athleticism and competitiveness at the Richmond RCS. The only thing that could hold Payne back is his height. He is only 5-foot-9, which could be very difficult for Payne to overcome in the SEC."

The Washington D.C. native (Friendship Academy) is rated as a four-star defensive back by Rivals. Payne, 5’9″/177 lbs, committed to Tennessee over the likes of Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Notre Dame.

Payne was one of Butch Jones’ first commits that had no previous connection to Tennessee or the staff. For that reason some analysts consider Payne the most important commit of the 2014 class so far.

For more on Vols recruiting make sure to follow us on Twitter @AllforTennessee