Payne Ready To Earn Trust In Buffs’ Trenches

BOULDER — Colorado freshman offensive lineman Xavier Payne understands the responsibility that comes with playing left tackle.

For Payne, it is more than blocking an edge rusher or finishing a rep. It is about trust. The quarterback has to believe the man protecting his blind side will be there every snap, without having to look back.

That mindset has followed Payne from Jones High School, in Orlando, Fl. to Colorado, where the 6-foot-7, 320-pound freshman offensive lineman is beginning his first chapter with the Buffaloes as an early enrollee.

"I like the fact that the quarterback trusts me enough to still say hike and not worry about looking over his shoulder," Payne said. "If I mess up, he gets smashed. I just like that my guy believes in me the same way I believe in him."

That trust became one of the biggest reasons Payne chose Colorado.

A consensus three-star prospect out of Jones High School in Orlando, Fla., Payne had opportunities across the country. Rivals rated him as the No. 95 offensive tackle in the class, ESPN ranked him No. 74 at the position and 247 Sports listed him No. 104 nationally among offensive tackles.

But for Payne, the recruiting process came down to fit, development and the people he would be around every day.

"My recruiting process was nothing but blessings," Payne said. "I was blessed with various opportunities to go everywhere across the country. But really, what made Colorado stand out to me was Coach Gunn [Gunnar White] and Coach Dre [Andre Gurode], just being able to learn from them day in and day out."

Payne also pointed to offensive line coach George Hegamin as a major part of his decision. Hegamin, who works with Colorado's offensive line, joined the Buffaloes' staff before the 2024 season as director of leadership and engagement before transitioning to the offensive line coaching staff in 2025.

"Especially Coach George," Payne said. "That was another big thing, him being an NFL tackle. I just really believed they could develop me at tackle and guard, interior and outside."

That mattered to Payne, who wanted to find a program that could help him become a complete offensive lineman. He did not want to be limited to one spot. He wanted to grow, learn multiple positions, and compete for a chance to get on the field early.

"My goal is to play as early as possible and as much as possible," Payne said. "I just trusted their plan for that. That was the biggest thing; Trust."

Colorado's offensive line room gives Payne several voices to learn from. White serves as offensive run game coordinator and offensive line coach, with his role including run scheme design, protection structure and offensive front development. Gurode, a former CU standout and longtime NFL offensive lineman, joined the staff in February 2025 as offensive line coach.

For Payne, being around coaches with that type of experience has made the transition easier. He sees a room built on teaching, detail and accountability.

That is also part of why enrolling early was important.

"At this day and age, it's really kind of the standard," Payne said. "If you have the opportunity and you don't take it, I feel like that's a very poor decision just because it gives you a head start."

That head start gave Payne a chance to experience college football before fall camp. He learned the speed of the game, the tempo of practice and the details required up front.

"For me, it helped me understand the speed of this game at this level," Payne said. "If I were to come in the summer, I wouldn't have had the spring to understand how fast rotations happen, understand the speed of the game and go through those ups and downs before fall."

Payne arrived in Boulder after a strong career at Jones High School, where he played three seasons of varsity football under head coach Elijah Williams. As a senior, he started at left tackle and helped lead the Tigers to an 11-2 record and a trip to the Class 4A FHSAA state title game. As a junior, he was part of a team that went 14-1 and advanced to the state title game.

Those playoff runs helped shape Payne as a player and a leader.

As a junior, Payne was part of a Jones team led by wide receiver Vernell Brown III, one of the Tigers' top playmakers and a University of Florida signee who helped set the tone for the program.

"I think the leadership," Payne said of what made those Jones teams successful. "My junior year, we had my guy Vernell Brown. He was the kind of guy we didn't ever have to worry about. When things got tough, it was always his voice that stuck out."

By his senior year, Payne became one of those voices.

"It was me, my quarterback," Payne said. "He could sling it, but he was more of a lead-by-example type of guy. I was more of the voice when it came to it."

That leadership was built on trust, the same word Payne uses when talking about playing left tackle and the same word he uses when explaining why Colorado stood out.

"You just have to trust the guys that are on the field," Payne said. "I knew my defense trusted me when I was on the field, and we trusted them."

Payne also credits Williams and the Jones staff for helping him grow beyond football.

"The biggest thing I learned from Coach Will was definitely off-the-field stuff," Payne said. "How to grow up, how to handle stuff on your own. He really helped me grow up in a lot of ways. I still have some growing up to do, but he definitely put me on the right path."

A multi-sport athlete, Payne also competed in wrestling and track and field. Wrestling helped him with leverage, flexibility, balance and body control, while track and field helped him build strength and explosiveness. As a thrower, he noticed how his lower-body work translated to his pass set as a left tackle.

"Wrestling taught me how to use my leverage in much better ways, control my body as well as controlling someone else's," Payne said. "Track helped build the strength in my legs."

Payne believes those sports gave him an advantage, but they also fed his competitive side.

"I love being competitive," Payne said. "It kept me active and kept me doing something that I felt like I could beat other people at."

His first impression of Boulder gave him another reason to believe Colorado was the right place. Coming from Florida, Payne said the mountains immediately stood out when he arrived on his official visit.

"It just opens up to a beautiful valley, with the mountains in the background and the school at the bottom," Payne said. "Florida is a very flat place. This place is beautiful in a different way."

Now, Boulder is the next step in the journey Payne has dreamed about since he was young. He started playing football when he was 4 and said he realized by seventh grade that the game could take him somewhere.

Colorado is part of that path.

"It's a place for me to grow and mature," Payne said. "It's another stepping stone."

Away from the field, Payne describes himself as calm and easygoing. He enjoys video games, lacrosse and spending time in the mountains. But on the field, he wants Buffs fans to know exactly what they are getting.

"You're going to get everything out of me," Payne said. "Whatever I've got is what I'm going to give."

And when his time at Colorado is finished, Payne already knows how he wants to be remembered.

"The Colorado football legend," Payne said. "The greatest offensive lineman to ever come through Colorado. Undisputed."

Fans can get their first glimpse of Payne and the Buffs in the home opener against Weber State on Sept. 12 at Folsom Field. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Buff fans have several ticket options available, including season tickets, two-game packages and single-game tickets. For more information, click here.

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