Missouri 2017 DE Anthony Payne Talks Upcoming Michigan Visit and Off-Season Workouts

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

When Missouri offenses start game planning for Raymore-Peculiar High School the first thing every head coach and offensive coordinator start off with is No. 99. Teams have to know where Anthony Payne is after he ratcheted it up a notch in 2015 coming up with 61 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and four sacks from his defensive end position. He worked his way into being one of the more overlooked talents in the 2017 class despite having 17 offers.

A lot of the radar the radar talk died down over the summer when the 6’3”, 260 pound, talent showed out at a Michigan camp earning an offer on the spot.

“Red Lightening” is a streak on the field turning in a time of 4.67 in the 40-yard dash while benching 405 and squatting 635. His physical abilities in the weight room are not just talk. Payne backed up the muscle posting a Nike SPARQ score of 111.42 in Dallas this summer.

The first team All-State performer seems to be in no hurry to verbally commit but teams with an eye on him might want to start making a big push forward. Payne is unofficially visiting Michigan for a Big Blue BBQ in August giving Jim Harbaugh and company a nice opportunity to impress the Peculiar area native.

In a Recruiting News Guru interview, I sat down with Payne after a workout to get an update on the Panthers off-season practices and a recruiting news update.

Interview

Anthony, your senior year is just around the corner. Are you getting excited?

“I am.”

What all have you been working on this summer in preparation for the season?

“I’ve been working on things like getting off ball, my start, explosiveness, and getting game ready instead of combine/camp ready.”

Have you maxed out on any of your football lifts lately?

“No. I have been maintaining my strength just trying to get into football shape.”

Which college camps did you go to this summer?

“I did not go to many. I went to a Michigan satellite camp, that’s when I got my offer. I went on some visits too.”

Which schools did you visit?

“I visited Memphis, KU (Kansas), and a few others.”

How did the Memphis visit go?

“It was good but really warm that day. I guess it is like that there most of the time. I had a really good time, Coach (Paul) Randolph (defensive line coach) is a good guy. I had fun hanging out with them.”

What about your trip to KU? How did that go?

“It was good. I talked to Coach David (Beaty – head coach) a lot. I had a good time there. I’m familiar with the guys on the team there. It was a nice visit.”

Do you have any upcoming visits planned?

“I’m going to Michigan on Aug. 6. They are having a BBQ and they are unveiling the new uniforms then. It is set up to be a big recruiting event.”

Have you started thinking about or setting up any official visits yet?

“I don’t have any planned right now. All of that is subject to change. My focus is on my high school team and being the best leader for my team that I can be. I’m just trying to lead those guys.”

Do you have any new recruiting interest coming your way?

“I’m not sure because you never can tell. Coaches come in all the time but you never know if that will turn into anything. A lot of schools have been talking, all of the local schools like KU, Missouri, and KSU (Kansas State) – the big three. Memphis and Ole Miss, I’ve been talking to them. Washington State has been messaging me. Louisiana Tech is another. There are more than that but off the top of my head it is hard to remember all of them.”

You mentioned leading your team a minute ago. How is the team looking heading into your fall camp?

“We’ve meshed together well. We’ve added a lot more size this year along the offensive line. We’ll be a pretty hard team to beat.”

Have you looked at the schedule yet and if so, are there any teams on there you are getting excited to play this year?

“It’s always fun to play in our league. We’ll be playing the best of the best. It’s always fun to play Lee’s Summit. We’ve been them a couple of years in a row. It’s not too hard to get hyped up for them. All the close schools, you looked forward to those games.”

Red Lightening, thanks for your time today.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: scout.com; Anthony Payne at a FBU camp.

Photo credit: Payne family; Anthony Payne at the Nike Opening regional in Dallas.