"Honestly I have been talking to my family about this for a long time," Payton said. "It's best option to be able to go out and look at other schools and figure out what schools I would like. Basically, it's something we have been thinking about for a long time and wanted to do it before it was too late."
Payton was once committed to Tennessee before eventually signing with Ole Miss. Tennessee is pushing for him hard and he sees great opportunity in Knoxville. "For Tennessee to be interested in me again feels good," Payton said. "It just tells me I'm doing something right. I just have to keep fighting and keep balling and everything works out for the best." Payton ran a 4.34 while working out this summer. He's routinely posting times in the 4.4 range and offers both size and speed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds.
"Honestly I just met Pruitt back in the summer and he's a cool guy," Payton said. "He's just real and I like that. I have a few former teammates that play with UT right now and I just feel like it's a bond when I go up there."
"It's about where I feel comfortable," Payton said. "It's about where I think I can produce for my team and where I feel comfortable with the coaches and the area. Basically, a place that feels like home. When I'm not in Tennessee, I get homesick, so I'm looking for a place I feel comfortable because I think that's my body telling me this is the spot." So the question becomes, does he feel comfortable at Tennessee? "I've been up there so much, it just fits for me," Payton said.
