Chance Payne is a freshman defensive back for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who hails from Jefferson, Georgia, where he attended Jefferson High School. At 5'10" and 180 pounds, Payne wore No. 6 for the Dragons under head coach Travis Noland. As a junior, he recorded 60 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass breakups. He earned First Team All-Region honors twice and was named Preseason All-State. A consensus three-star recruit, national outlets ranked him as the No. 50 cornerback nationally and No. 76 prospect in Georgia. Beyond football, Payne competed in basketball and track and field, serving on the state runner-up 4x100 relay team.