Commitment Watch: Alabama targets who will decide soon

Alabama is on an absolute heater after it scored four commitments in eight days to start off the busy month of official visits. The Crimson Tide currently has the No. 6 recruiting class per the On3 Sports Industry Team Rankings. UA has a great chance to continue climbing in the coming weeks with more recruits expected to announced their college decisions.

Below are five players we are monitoring closely. These are not the only targets who will decide soon. Several others have not revealed commitment plans to this point. These are five we certainly expect will reveal a decision soon.

(Alabama will host another outstanding group of prospects for official visits this weekend led by five-star running back AK Dear, Top 100 offensive lineman Jackson Lloyd and Top 100 ‘Wolf’ target Justin Hill. Keep an eye on punter Alex Asparuhov, who earned an offer after the special teams camp on Sunday. He also returns this weekend.

Peep the visitors list (9 Total)- HERE.

Must-Read: Nation’s No. 1 LB says there is a lot to like about Alabama, sets official visit

Dawson Merritt, Top 100 Wolf, Blue Valley HS in Overland Park, Kansas

Top 100 overall prospect Dawson Merritt with his parents and Alabama’s Christian Robinson on his official visit with the Tide.

The No. 7 LB recruit in the country, per On3, will likely have a decision within the next week or two. Merritt has not revealed a commitment date to this point, but official visits (Alabama, Nebraska) have concluded. The big reveal is the next step. Merritt’s interest in Alabama is high, and momentum appears on the Tide’s side following his trip Tuscaloosa this past weekend. He visited Alabama three times since late March including two-days (April 19-20) where he had a lot of one-on-one time with the Tide staff (best relationship with Christian Robinson). Nebraska hasn’t thrown in the towel yet in its fight for Merritt.

Priority ‘Wolf’ target goes in-depth on Alabama official visit

(Alabama will host one of its other priority ‘Wolf’ targets on an official visit this weekend- Top 100 EDGE Justin Hill (Cincinnati-Winton Woods). His mom spoke with BOL last month-HERE)

Dijon Lee, five-star CB, Mission Viejo HS in Calif.

Lee is currently on a mid-week official visit with Texas. The Longhorns are viewed on the outside of his recruitment with hopes of becoming top contender ahead of his scheduled decision date on June 28. Alabama and Georgia remain the top two. The Crimson Tide is trending, but a visit to UGA is happening this weekend. The Bulldogs were considered the front-runner earlier this spring (prior to Lee returning to Tuscaloosa on April 19), and will look to recapture his attention during the official. The five-star will return to the Capstone next weekend (6/21) before announcing a decision the following Friday.

Lee calls Alabama “The best football program ever”

(It was a great weekend for UA last week as Chuck McDonald is the second corner to commit to the Tide (Commitment coverage). Na’eem Offord (post visit nuggets) returned for an official visit last weekend, and he also was in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday–LOOK. Still a long way to go, but the Tide continues to chip away in its pursuit for the Ohio State commit).

Jackson Lloyd, Top 100 OL, Carmel HS in Calif.

Jackson Lloyd during his January unofficial visit to Alabama

Lloyd, similar to (Dijon) Lee, was one of the first offered by Coach Kalen DeBoer upon arriving in Tuscaloosa in January. He also visited Tuscaloosa two weekends after Coach DeBoer was hired. He returned on April 4 for a second unofficial visit, and did not visit other schools during that time-frame. Ohio State offered in May, and Lloyd took an official with the Buckeyes last weekend. He’ll take an OV to Alabama this weekend, followed by a trip to USC. A decision is expected in the near future. This is an Alabama/Ohio State battle at this time. The Trojans seem to have a lot of ground to gain.

Parents of priority ’25 target Jackson Lloyd talk in-depth about Alabama

(BOL Is also closely watching OL targets Ty Haywood, Douglas Utu, Micah DeBose. Alabama is in heavy contention for all three as Haywood and Utu have taken their official visits. DeBose, who returned for an unofficial on June 4, and will also take an official on June 21-23. There’s been positive buzz on Haywood and Utu after visits, but other visits still loom).

Ivan Taylor, Top 100 S, West Orange HS in Winter Garden, Fla.

Top 100 S Ivan Taylor

The son of former two-time Super Bowl Champion, Ike Taylor, took an official visit with Alabama this past weekend. The visit was kept under wraps until last Friday (though BOL hinted at surprise visitor earlier in the week). It wasn’t the first visit to Alabama kept quiet as he also traveled to Tuscaloosa (not reported) earlier this spring. He was recruited by safeties coach Collin Hitschler during his time at Wisconsin prior to his arrival at UA. The Notre Dame commitment will return to South Bend this weekend, prior to a trip to Michigan on June 21. A decision is expected in late June or early July. Alabama is surging ahead of the remaining trips.

Notre Dame DB commit recaps ‘really good’ official visit to Bama

Keep track of the very latest interviews, news and intel: Recruiting Rundown

Nick Townsend, four-star TE, Spring HS in Dekaney, Texas

On300 TE Nick Townsend with Alabama TEs coach Bryan Ellis during his official visit.

Alabama doesn’t have a tight end commitment yet, and the number of targets on the recruiting board remains small. The Crimson Tide hosted Townsend for an official visit this past weekend (Post visit interview) There was a lot of buzz around UA after Townsend’s visit earlier this spring. He’s a top target for several schools including Texas, Texas A&M and USC. The race has tightened this month especially after a trip to USC where Trojans have made him a priority. A decision may come in the next few weeks or in early July. He will visit the Aggies and Longhorns during the next two weeks.

(Another names to watch closely is Kaleb Edwards (El Dorado Hills, Calif-Oak Ridge). Edwards visited the Tide earlier this spring. He will return on June 17 for an official. UA is in top three with Auburn and Texas. Alabama is also in top group for Andrew Olesh (Center Valley, Pa.-Southern Lehigh), who took an official visit on May 31.)

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