2025 4-star DL London Merritt cuts list to 12 schools

Atlanta (Ga.) Woodward Academy 2025 four-star defensive lineman London Merritt has taken the first step toward a college decision. The No. 59 overall prospect in the 2025 On3 Industry rankings has made his first cut of his long list of college offers. Merritt holds 40 college offers.

Merritt is down to 12 schools. Alabama, Clemson, Colorado, Florida State, Ohio State, Tennessee, LSU, Florida, North Carolina, USC, Texas A&M and Notre Dame are all still in contention for Merritt.

Clemson is yet to offer Merritt. The Tigers have had the four-star defensive lineman on campus multiple times already. Clemson hasn’t sent out any offers to the class of 2025 as of now.

Merritt isn’t sure when he’ll commit, but he anticipates that it could come before the start of his senior year.

“I’ll probably be committed after my junior season,” Merritt told On3.

Merritt feels this group of 12 programs has quickly gotten his attention because of their plans for him. Merritt has felt the love from all of the programs in his top schools when he’s been to campus.

“They all talk good things, it’s going to be a hard decision,” Merritt said.

He still hasn’t visited USC, but in the conversations, he’s had with the Trojans’ staff, he’s liked what he’s heard.

“I haven’t visited USC, I’ll probably visit them this summer but I talked to my position coach and they’re talking about good things,” Merritt said. “When he talked about me, he talked about things that were good and things that I can work on.”

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently favors Alabama in Merritt’s recruitment. The Crimson Tide has a 25.2 percent chance of landing the four-star defensive lineman according to RPM.

London Merritt recently spoke highly of Alabama

Merritt has Alabama high on his board.

“I like them a lot,” Merritt told On3 back on May 17. “They’re a great program. I get love from their players. They build them and get them ready for the NFL, which is my main goal. They have a good coaching staff. Coach Saban is a good guy. He sees a lot of potential in me.”

Merritt currently has a NIL Valuation of 64K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). 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.