Daron Payne to Alabama: Crimson Tide Land 4-Star DT Prospect

Alabama added another major piece to its 2015 recruiting class by landing coveted defensive tackle Daron Payne.

JC Shurburtt of 247Sports has the report:

Payne is a 4-star prospect who ranks inside the top 50 overall nationally and the No. 6 player at the defensive tackle position, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also rated as the second-best recruit in the state of Alabama after dominating at Shades Valley High School.

Back in March, Wesley Sinor of AL.com spoke with the highly touted prospect about the recruiting process. He explained how difficult making the final decision would be, especially since two programs like Alabama and Auburn were heavily involved:

"

It's going to be hard. I'm going to have to sit down, pray about it and talk to my family and coaches.

I grew up an Auburn fan. I've just been wanting to play with them all my life, but then I got the Alabama offer and everybody wants to play with Bama. It's really hard.

"

The facet of Payne's game that stands out most is his raw power. At 6'2" and 325 pounds, the amount of strength he shows while pushing opposing offensive linemen into the backfield is a sight to behold and is probably what pushed him near the top of many wish lists among coaching staffs.

Beyond that, Payne has shown good athleticism for his size and has solid short-area quickness that helps him make plays once he does break through the line. In other words, he has all the tools necessary to become a major force at the collegiate level.

In terms of areas Payne needs to improve, it starts with technique.

At the college level, and definitely at the NFL level should his career continue to trend in that direction, simply having raw talent isn't good enough. A player must learn to use that natural ability effectively through practice and experience.

The other thing the high-upside defensive tackle can continue to improve is getting off the ball at the snap. When he can showcase a quick first step, his leverage and power then become almost unblockable. But there's certainly still work to do.

Ultimately, it would be good to get him on the field in game situations right away as a freshman. He won't be as dominant as he looked against high school competition, but that experience is necessary for him to start learning and testing an improved technique, even in a rotational role.

There's no reason to believe he won't eventually become an elite college defensive tackle. Fans just shouldn't expect it to happen right away.