Daron Payne's Remarks on College Football Landscape: Just a Minute

Former Alabama defensive lineman Daron Payne, a two-time national champion in college, hosted his annual youth football camp at Shades Valley High School on Monday. After the event, the 2022 Pro Bowler shared perspective on college football when he played and what it is now.

"When I played, it was kinda more about the team," the current Washington Commanders tackle said. "You got in... tried to build your way up to becoming a starter and a star for the team. Now it's like guys just go anywhere they want to go."

Those remarks don't leave much room for interpretation on Payne's stance concerning the changes that have taken hold of the sport since the turn of the decade. Nevertheless, he did not seem intent on there being a gray area.

"I liked it when it was all about building the brotherhood of the team," he added. Payne is a pre-transfer portal player; he played his last college snap in 2018, and the portal was first activated in October of that year.

There have been more changes since then, including the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement earlier this month, which officially permits revenue sharing between schools and athletes. Sentiment like Payne's is not uncommon, and predates NIL, but times are vastly different now.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral lead baseball writer Will Miller briefly discusses some of former Crimson Tide star Daron Payne's comments about the current landscape of the college game, further speaking on recent changes in the NIL world and potential future impacts.