After receiving 26 college offers, four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt made his final decision over the summer to commit to The University of Alabama.
Despite being over 600 miles away, Merritt believes Tuscaloosa will be his new home.
“I feel like it was a family there,” Merritt said. “I just fit in really well there, and it was kind of close to where all of my family is originally from.”
The Crimson Tide, Alabama’s football program, is one of the most known and successful programs in the United States with 18 national championships. Due to this, it attracts the top recruits across the country. These factors made Merritt’s decision easier in picking his school.
“I thought I wanted to go to Nebraska for a little bit, but at the end of the day, I picked Alabama because of their winning culture,” he said.
While playing football Merritt plans on studying sports medicine with a dream of playing in the NFL.
“The next step in my journey, is to play for the Chiefs where my dad coaches,” he said.
While the NFL is a distance away, Merritt prepares himself to play at the Southeastern Conference level.
“I usually go to the gym a couple of times a week,” he said. “I go up to the field every day and work on certain things that I feel were weaknesses in my game, last year.”
After years of dedication and locking in at training, Merritt considered this as a factor that helped his top-100 ranking.
“It was a really cool feeling, knowing that a lot of my hard work is paying off,” Merritt said. “Other people nationally are noticing it as well.”
While working hard Merritt earned the title as a football caption, an is ready to lead the team.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “It comes with a lot of accountability and responsibilities, but I wouldn’t want to be in any other way.”
Although he is thrilled to help guide his team through the season, he is avoiding the reality that he’ll be leaving his friends behind.
“I’m going to miss playing with the guys I’ve grown up and created connections with since I was a little kid,” Merritt said.
