Chance Payne brings ballhawk instincts and late-blooming upside to Minnesota’s 2026 DB haul
Chance Payne is a 2026 cornerback from Jefferson, Georgia, committed to Minnesota, and the consistent theme in the scouting chatter is that he’s a late riser with real playmaking juice rather than just a rankings placeholder. In 2025, he was described as a three-star CB with offers from Wake Forest, Appalachian State, Miami (OH), Navy and Yale, and at Jefferson he helped anchor a secondary that leaned on him for turnovers and tackles. At 5-10 to 6-0 and around 175-180 pounds, his fit hinges on quickness, competitiveness and coverage instincts more than pure size.
