Alabama transfers Justice Haynes, Damon Payne Jr. gearing up for Michigan debut

Sherrone Moore and his coaching staff have put together a pretty stacked roster to make up Team 146, full of highly pursued recruits, a number of returning players, and a handful of assets picked up from the transfer portal. Two of the more notable transfers came from Alabama at the end of last season, after losing to Michigan in the College Football Playoffs at the beginning of 2024, and in the ReliaQuest Bowl at the end of 2024.

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The endings of both the 2023 and 2024 seasons drew a lot of attention towards the maize and blue, and along with it, a decent number of new faces coming to play for Sherrone Moore this fall. Coming from Alabama are running back Justice Haynes, and defensive tackle Damon Payne Jr., both of whom played for Alabama in 2024 and decided to transfer not long after the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Payne Jr. and Haynes Are Ready to Make Their Mark On Michigan

Originally from Belleville, MI, Payne Jr. grew up around Michigan football. Having had a rather lackluster career in the three years he spent at Alabama, Payne Jr. is coming back home with high hopes of quickly fitting into defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s system.

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Justice Haynes, however, should have no problem making the transition from one D1 powerhouse to another, especially after his explosive sophomore season in Tuscaloosa. In the 2024 season, Haynes had 79 carries for a total of 448 yards, resulting in seven touchdowns and an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Although he and Jordan Marshall have some pretty big shoes to fill after Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings, suffice it to say, Haynes knows what’s at stake, and he certainly has the skillset to get the job done come fall.

Both Haynes and Payne Jr. are expected to see some snaps this fall, and fans will be able to get a preview of how they look in the winged helmet at the spring game next weekend.

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