In which BracketCat counts down the 19th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State safety VJ Payne.

#19 VJ Payne

True Junior | 6-3 | 211 lbs. | Gainesville, Georgia

Position: Safety
Previous College: None
Projection: Starter
Status: On Scholarship

Victor J. Payne (b. March 17, 2004) is a hard-hitting strong safety majoring in kinesiology.

A true freshman who did not redshirt and played in every game in 2022 with four starts — against South Dakota and Kansas, in the Big 12 Championship against TCU, and at the Sugar Bowl against Alabama — Payne started the season opener at free safety, becoming the first K-State true freshman to start a season opener since tight end Jeron Mastrud in 2006 and the first on defense since at least 1988.

After settling in as the starting strong safety following season-ending injuries to Kobe Savage and Cincere Mason, he carded a season high with 10 tackles in the Sugar Bowl — which included his first career sack — as he tied for 10th in K-State bowl history in tackles.

That topped Payne’s previous high of eight tackles, set against Kansas. He also had four tackles in the Big 12 Championship game against TCU and two at West Virginia.

Payne started all 13 games in 2023, tying for third on the team with 57 tackles to go along with three tackles for loss, an interception, four passes defended and a fumble recovery.

He tied his career high and also tied for 10th in K-State bowl history with 10 tackles in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State, a game that included an absolutely devastating sack of the NC State quarterback, Brennan Armstrong, on a two-point conversion attempt.

Payne’s effort against the Wolfpack topped his previous season high of six tackles at both Oklahoma State and Texas, while he had five tackles against Troy, Kansas and Iowa State.

He carded his first career interception at Texas Tech, a one-handed pick that led to a K-State touchdown on the next play; had tackles for loss at Missouri, Oklahoma State and Kansas; recovered a fumble against UCF; and had pass breakups against Troy, Houston and Texas.

Entering 2024, Payne is a stone-cold lock to start at safety alongside Marques Sigle, despite missing spring practices with an undisclosed injury about which no one seems too worried.

He prepped under head coach Bryant Appling at Buford High School in Georgia, where he was rated as a linebacker by 247Sports, which placed him at No. 80 in the Class of 2022.

Payne earned first-team all-region honors as he helped to lead the Wolves to a 14-1 record and a state championship as a senior, following additional state championships during both his sophomore and junior seasons. He also competed in track and field.

Payne selected the Wildcats over impressive Power 5 offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, USC and Vanderbilt, as well as Appalachian State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Troy, UAB and UConn.

His primary recruiters were running backs coach Brian Anderson and his defensive coordinator (and position coach), Joe Klanderman, who is very high on his veteran safety:

As soon as freshmen come in, two of our guys are going to have chances. There are guys who are as good physically as anybody we’ve recruited since we’ve been here. In my room, in particular, Jordan Perry and VJ Payne, those are going to be probably the best two looking safeties in our room. One is 6-foot-2 ½ and the other is 6-3, and they’re both around 200 pounds and both can run, and both played high-level high school football. How quickly they can adapt to college football and the pace is going to determine a lot about how quickly they get on the field. Even if we can use them in a special teams role in the fall, it wouldn’t surprise me because they both open it up.

Here’s what head coach Chris Klieman had to say about Payne’s potential when he signed:

VJ can do everything. He can play safety. He can play linebacker. He’ll blitz. He’ll cover runs and strikes people, plays all over the field. … So excited to have VJ. They just won the state championship last weekend. Excited to have VJ join the program.

At Big 12 Media Days this summer, Klieman expressed appreciation for Payne’s veterancy:

And then to have most of our safeties, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle played a lot of football, Colby McCalister has played a lot. … It’s really important. There’s such talented offenses in this league and skilled players… Those guys have played a lot of football.