Da'Ron Payne was the Defensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Payne, Alabama’s junior defensive lineman, earned the honor after helping the Crimson Tide defeat Georgia 26–23 in overtime on January 8, 2018. The official College Football Playoff records call him the Defensive Player of the Game, the equivalent of the defensive MVP in this context. He recorded six total tackles, including three solo stops and three assists.
The game is best remembered for Alabama’s dramatic comeback. Georgia led 13–0 at halftime, but true freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entered for Jalen Hurts and helped produce 20 second-half points. Tagovailoa was named the Offensive Player of the Game, while Payne received the defensive honor.
A common mix-up is Payne’s outstanding performance in the semifinal Sugar Bowl against Clemson, where he intercepted a pass and caught a touchdown. Those plays were not from the championship game. In the title game, Payne’s interior defensive work helped Alabama withstand Georgia’s rushing attack and secure the program’s fifth national championship in nine years.