Penn State football redshirt-sophomore safety Lamont Payne Jr. is entering the transfer portal, according to a report from 247Sports. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Payne joined the Nittany Lions in 2023, playing in three games that season but maintaining his year of eligibility. In 2024, he played in just one game against Kent State in a 56-0 win, and in 2025, he played in three more games. The safety has yet to record a state for the Nittany Lions.

The Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, native was the No. 10 player in the state, No. 60 cornerback, and No. 608 player nationally per the 247Sports composite rankings. He chose Penn State over Syracuse, Rutgers, and Pitt.

Payne is the 26th Nittany Lion to enter the transfer portal since the end of the 2025 season. He leaves a talented and young defensive back room with players like Dejaun Lane and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter.

About the Author

Collin Ward

Collin is a fourth-year majoring in digital/print journalism. He lives in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and enjoys TAYLOR HAM, egg, and cheese. As a New York Giants and Chelsea FC fan you can normally find him yelling at his TV screen on the weekends. Please follow him on X(formerly Twitter) @wardcollinz for Penn State football stuff. You can email him at collin@onwardstate.com.

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