Leading off the Class we have an outstanding athlete at WR. Racine Case’s Nicholas Payne has the potential to put himself into the conversation for the best WR to come out of the state. At least in recent history. Nicholas is 5’11” and I won’t be surprised to see him continue to grow to match his extremely long arms. The freshman uses that reach to his advantage, giving his QB a huge target area. The ’29 WR is so athletically gifted. He can win with speed, has elite quick twitch agility to rip open separation from DBs, and his ability to go and attack the ball at the highest possible point make him nightmare fuel to cover out wide.

The freshman isn’t afraid of the work to be great either. He is extremely dedicated in the offseason to improving and is very accomplished on the track too. Nicholas can be as good as he wants to be in the end. He has earned his spot at the top.

The freshman WR out of Racine Case has a bright future. His hard work has landed him in a tier of his own. It started with one of the best combines of the day. 5’11” 160 lbs with a 6’3″ wingspan and 9.5″ hands. The freshman WR ran a 4.56 40, 4.00 shuttle, jumped 9’2″, and hit 6.91 in the L-Drill. Elite numbers, especially for a kid who just wrapped up his first high school season. On the field, Payne already is an unfair matchup. The athletic tools make him an excellent route runner. They also make him a nightmare at the catch where he can go up over the head of DBs. The freshman is working hard to make himself an FBS recruit. He is definitely on the path. If you don’t know about Nicholas yet, you need to change that.

My coverage and knowledge of the Class of 2029 is just starting, but from what I have seen Nicholas is the top athlete in the Class to this point. Payne is a long, lean athlete that has a great base of muscle already built onto his frame. Nicholas also brings elite speed to the field that carries over from his All- American Track & Field success. This 2029 isn’t just a straight line athlete though. I have seen him in person and can confidently report that he is developing quickly as a route runner. He has the balance, quick feet, and acceleration to open up separation. The incoming freshman also does a great job of attacking the ball in the air, aided by his reported 40″ vertical. The physical tools are all there for the Racine Case Eagle to be an early impact player.

This was a fun athlete to watch. Nicholas Payne Jr Nicholas Payne Jr 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR Racine Case | 2029 State WI . is only an 8th grader, but you wouldn’t guess that if you just showed up and watched him perform. The 5’10” 155 lbs athlete has a 6’2″ wingspan. As a young kid you expect them to be slow or at least unbalanced leading to inefficient movements. That wasn’t the case here. Nicholas already was putting up 4.66 in the 40, 4.47 in the shuttle, 9’2″ in the broad, and an unreal 6.87 in the L-Drill. The body control and ability to drop his hips and explode in a different direction looks special. It wasn’t clear how special it was until we got to 1 on 1s, though. That is where he really showed off his talents vs high school kids. Payne was explosive off the line and was in and out of breaks so suddenly without losing speed. Nicholas is working and building is way towards being one of the premier talents in his Class.

Next up is Nick Payne Jr. hailing from Wisconsin. Payne is a freak athlete who’s biggest strength is speed, speed, and more speed. Similar to a Tyreek Hill or DK Metcalf, Payne not only demonstrates his quickness on the gridiron, but on the track as well. Payne runs the 100m at the AAU junior Olympics, and is ranked as an All-American. Speed isn’t the only benefit to the 5’9 receiver however, as he also showcases an ability to make defenders miss in the open field, juking, spinning, and even occasionally running over would-be tacklers on his way to the end zone.