4-star LB Dawson Merritt commits to Alabama: ‘I’ll be going against the best every single day’

Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt shared on May 15 that Alabama and Nebraska were his top two schools. He took his official visit to the Cornhuskers from April 26-28 before going on an official to the Crimson Tide from June 7-9. 

Alabama was at the top in Merritt’s recruitment for a long time and he came to the realization in mid-June that he wanted to spend his college football career in Tuscaloosa. As a result, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound recruit gave head coach Kalen DeBoer, outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson and general manager Courtney Morgan the good news ahead of publicly committing to the Crimson Tide. 

“Coach DeBoer is an amazing head coach,” Merritt told On3. “He’s very personable. He has a great vision for the team. Everything that he said he would do, he’s starting to do and I’m super excited for everyone to see him in action during the season. He did impressive things at Washington and now, he has all the resources in the world at Alabama. 

“His record as a head coach is 104-12. What says he’s not going to succeed with all the things that he has set up for him at Alabama?  I’m super excited to see what he can do and his support staff is amazing. Everyone there is next level. Alabama is next level compared to every other program I’ve visited.” 

Merritt believes Alabama is going to have the top recruiting class in the country

Nebraska gave Merritt – the No. 7 linebacker in the 2025 On300 – a lot to think about, which made his choice to choose Alabama “a tough decision.” Growing close with Robinson, and having the chance to be developed by him, helped lift the Crimson Tide over the Cornhuskers. 

The opportunity to join Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class played a key role in Merritt’s choice as well. DeBoer and Co. currently have one of the top groups in the country and it grew stronger following a pledge from the No. 3 player in Kansas.  

“This recruiting class is impressive because of the guys that Alabama is landing and the guys that I know they will be landing this week and in the upcoming weeks,” said Merritt, the No. 87 overall prospect in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. “We’re going to have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. If I have the opportunity to be a part of that and be recruited by the best, why would I not want to play with all the best players?” 

Merritt felt like he was around his family while spending time with Alabama’s players and coaches. The mentality among the Crimson Tide’s players caught his attention.  

“Alabama’s player-driven culture is different,” Merritt said. “During the player panel, I listened to Jalen Milroe and Jihaad Campbell speak. The way that they carry themselves is different and I can see why they’ve been so successful in their careers.” 

Merritt is excited to grow and develop under Alabama’s coaches

Merritt has already established himself as a top defensive recruit in the 2025 cycle. The four-star believes he will continue to grow as a player while in Tuscaloosa. 

“I have all the faith in the world in coach Robinson and I think he can get me to levels that I want to be at one day,” Merritt said. “I’ve had such a long relationship with coach DeBoer, and then me and coach Kane Wommack have a great relationship as well. I will be surrounded by great players and the offensive linemen that Alabama is bringing in in my recruiting class are probably the best in the country. I’ll be going against the best every single day.”  

DeBoer and Wommack – Alabama’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach – played important roles in Merritt’s recruitment, yet his relationship with Robinson “is different than any other connection.” Robinson feels like not only a coach, but also a friend to Merritt.

The Kansas native has been able to bond easily with Robinson about things on and off the field and met with him one-on-one during his official visit. They act so similarly that Merritt’s parents joke that he and Robinson are the exact same person. 

“My relationship with coach Robinson played a huge role in my decision because I’m going to be spending every day with him and he’s going to be the one teaching me the bulk of the stuff that I’m going to be learning,” Merritt said. “Why wouldn’t I want to spend that time with someone that I really truly enjoy being around?”