Episode Details

Penn State recruiting isn’t just coaches convincing players to join a program. Some of the team’s best recruiters are the players already committed to a class. For the Class of 2023, one of those recruiters is cornerback Lamont Payne. The three-star defensive back from Chartiers Valley in Bridgeville, PA, sat down with film analyst and host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr. They discussed Lamont’s offseason progress, playing hurt in 2023, and who he is pushing to get a commitment from among Penn State’s 2023 targets.

Payne Focused on Football

T-Frank begins with getting up-to-speed with where Payne is right now in his offseason progress. The Pittsburgh native doesn’t play basketball, so he’s focused on improving his game, getting bigger, and prepping for track season. First, he updates T-Frank on how much muscle he’s put on this winter and on what parts of his game he’s focused on improving.

They also discuss Payne’s play from the 2021 season. T-Frank comments that one of the rising senior’s best traits is his physicality at the line of scrimmage. Is that why Payne is adding the weight? What led to him playing that way. Payne gives excellent insight into what he knows about his strengths and why he plays the way he does. Then, he talks about the college and NFL corners he watches to improve his play.

Penn State recruiting in 2023, not just for coaches

After that, T-Frank asks Payne what he thinks about his classmates and the group of players that the Penn State coaches have assembled so far. Where does he see the strength of the class? Who is he recruiting on the defensive side of the ball? Payne gives his thoughts on the subject and names several key defensive targets, including four-star linebackers Ta’Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas, along with several other players in the Pittsburgh and Virginia areas.

Finally, they go deeper into Payne’s game. After suffering an injury early in the year, it wasn't an easy season for Payne. So how did he overcome the situation? First, he talks about the injury and then what toughness means to him as a football player.

T-Frank gives more observations about Payne’s playing style and usage at Chartier’s Valley. What does he learn from playing slot receiver that can help him as a defensive back? Payne opens up about that and what he thinks the key is to his ability to make plays on the ball.

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