D'Andre Payne transfers to Maryland: Terps pick up former 4-star CB from Tennessee

Maryland has added an important future piece to their secondary, as former Tennessee cornerback D'Andre Payne will transfer to College Park. A D.C. native, Payne was a four-star prospect coming out of high school in 2014.

Payne played as a true freshman for Tennessee this season, so if he has to sit out he can use his redshirt year (giving him three years of eligibility for the Terrapins). He played in eight games for the Volunteers, mostly on special teams, recording four tackles.

A 5'9, 185-pound defensive back, Payne was a highly-rated prospect coming out of H.D. Woodson his senior year. He was considered a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite in the 2014 Class, ranking as the 22nd-best cornerback in the class and the second-best player in D.C. (behind Jalen Tabor and ahead of Will Ulmer). Prior to his senior year at Woodson, Payne was at Friendship Academy with current Maryland players Yannick Ngakoue, Cavon Walker, Jermaine Carter and Derwin Gray, among others.

Cornerback has been a position of need for Maryland for a few years now, and adding a talented player like Payne will help significantly with the secondary's depth. Consider this a big win for the staff's recruiting.