Indiana 4-star RB commit Gi'Bran Payne granted release from NLI

Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle four-star running back Gi’Bran Payne has been granted his release from his National Letter of Intent to Indiana and will reopen his recruitment.

“As a person (and athlete), I thrive and prosper off of communication and genuine relationships,” Payne said in a social media statement Tuesday. “With that being said I am looking to explore my options to ensure I am making the best decision for me and my future. I am grateful and appreciate all the consideration and opportunities that were given by the staff and coaches at Indiana University.

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— Gi’Bran Payne🧸 (@upnexxt03) March 8, 2022

He committed to the Hoosiers nearly a year ago on March 8, 2021 and signed his NLI during the early signing period. However, his primary recruiter and running backs coach Deland McCullough took the job at Notre Dame in February.

Payne was one of the top commits in the 2022 Indiana recruiting class and his decommitment now leaves the Hoosiers without a running back signee in the cycle.

He is the No. 334 overall recruit and No. 27 running back in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Payne currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $22k. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.