Weight: 223 (2024)

2024 Media Guide: Payton was part of the 2024 Ohio State recruiting class … he enrolled in classes in January and continued rehabilitation on a high school injury … Payton was a four-star prospect and a national top-200 rated player in the 2024 class.

High School: A finalist for the High School Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top prep linebacker … in 14 games as a senior, finished with 181 tackles, 40.0 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks … added four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks … named the District 7 5A Most Valuable Player … earned Dallas Morning News’ Defensive Player of the Week honors after a 22-tackle performance that included 4.5 tackles-for-loss in a playoff win over the top-ranked team in the state … was just as productive as a junior, collecting 131 tackles, 21.0 tackles-for-loss, six sacks and five forced fumbles … selected to play in the 2024 All-American Bowl on Jan. 4 in San Antonio.

Personal: Parents are Jamie and Geno Pierce.