Georgia safety V.J. Payne commits to Kansas State
After taking an official visit to Kansas State last weekend, the Wildcats have landed a commitment from safety/linebacker V.J. Payne of Buford, Ga.
The consensus three-star prospect with more than 15 scholarship offers, announced his pledge to the Wildcats on Sunday. Boston College and Vanderbilt were the other finalists on his list.
The Wildcats, led by the efforts of defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, were in on V.J. Payne from day one. That attention and focus paid off with the visit last weekend and then the commitment on Sunday.
“There were no questions about K-State,” Payne said. “It’s the place for me.”
Payne said he felt a strong bond with the players at K-State, especially Georgia native TJ Smith. Payne said Smith was his host on the official visit and the two really hit it off.
“He loves it, and so do I,” Payne said.
Payne said the Wildcats are recruiting him to play the Jack safety position. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Payne said he feels comfortable playing in run support and in pass coverage, and the Jack safety spot at K-State is the perfect situation for him.
V.J. Payne becomes the 11th commitment for the Wildcats’ 2022 class. He is the first player from Georgia to jump on board, but the state has been a solid recruiting territory for the Wildcats in the past. K-State signed two players from Georgia in 2021, four in 2020 and one in the 2019 class.
The Wildcats have also gone heavy on the defensive side of the ball in the 2022 class.
Of K-State’s 11 pledges, four are on the defensive side of the ball. Payne joins the commit list with On300 four-star linebacker Tobi Osunsanmi of Wichita East. Three-star linebacker Jake Clifton of Owasso, Okla., is also a top defensive recruit for the Wildcats.