Had a chance to talk to Payton yesterday along with his mom. Payton has let every school but Miami and Michigan St that he will not be attending their school. His commitment will be July 23rd in Orlando, FL. A few nuggets along with a bunch of laughs talking about his UF visit. His mother told me that the mac & cheese was not only made with mayonnaise but apparently the food on the visit got multiple people sick during their trip. Payton also told me Coach Cristobal has reached out to him recent as early as 4:30am to let him know he is wanted. Payton understands the targets we are going after and is ready to compete. He talks to Francis Mauigoa a lot about playing next to each other and also mentioned a player he would love to play with is Samson Okunola from Boston, Massachusetts. Payton started out playing basketball but his mother noticed he needed a little extra fire in him that needed to be unleashed. He transitioned to the game of football after injuring his ankle in basketball and hasn't looked back since. He models his game after Trent Williams and also is his mentor. Payton let me know that he is currently 6'6 benching over 440lbs and hasn't hit his growth spurt yet. His father is 6'10 keep that in mind. Overall Payton and his mom expressed that the family atmosphere, love from the coaching staff and overall development are huge reasons why they love Miami. They have been honest, relentless and constantly making them feel important. After talking to him I can honestly say the way this young man is perceived on social media is completely different than how he carries himself off the field. The Dr.Phillips Orlando native who is close with ex teammate John Campbell hinted that Miami will also be offering a few of his teammates soon as well. With a July 23rd commitment and a recent push back date for OL target Tommy Kinsler, I expect Miami to be the team to be as of right now but as we know recruitment changes daily.
