Former Harrisburg standout Dionte Payne is on the move.
Payne told PennLive Sunday he has transferred from Clarion to Kentucky Christian. Payne said he is a redshirt freshman and will have three years of eligibility remaining with the NAIA school.
“It feels great,” he said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. The atmosphere here is great. The players here have welcomed me. The facilities are great. I’m enjoying it so far.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Payne recorded 28 tackles — `1.5 for loss — with a half sack last season.
Payne said he has also been joined at the school by former CD East and Clarion receiver Jaylen Hawthorne and former Harrisburg defensive end Sterling Cooper.
He said he chose to transfer because of changes in the Clarion coaching staff, adding that he played for three different defensive coordinators, and he, originally, wanted to be closer to home. But he wound up at Kentucky Christian because, he said, Clarion restricted his ability to transfer to other PSAC schools.
Payne said he thinks it worked out for the best in the end.
“I was fascinated with the NAIA stuff, and they told me they like that I’m a physical downhill linebacker,” he said. “That made me interested, and it just seemed like a good opportunity.”
-- Follow Brian Linder on Twitter, @SportsByBLinder
Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.