Alabama football is looking to have a big summer on the recruiting front by adding talent to its 2025 recruiting class.
The Crimson Tide will host top recruits throughout the summer in hopes of moving closer to getting a verbal pledge from them. There are some 2025 recruits Alabama is in a better position with than most. Here is a look at a group to watch ahead of June:
Dawson Merritt – 4-Star EDGE
Merrit is down to Alabama and Nebraska. He will visit both programs next month and a summer decision looks to be on the horizon for the Kansas product. Alabama offered Merritt in February and has gotten him on campus twice since then. His latest visit was in April, and it met expectations.
“It was awesome,” Merritt told Touchdown Alabama. “I really got to see a lot of campus, which was great and also got to see the field, which was crazy.”
The new Alabama staff has shown they want athletic linebackers, and Merritt is the prototype of the type of linebacker they have commitments from at the moment. He looks to be a priority for the Tide, and it looks to be more likely that he will commit to Alabama than many other recruits at this point in time, based on how close he is to a decision.
Merritt is 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with very long arms. He is a versatile linebacker, who makes plays from the edge and off the ball. He excels in space and playing sideline to sideline as an athletic prospect. His style of play works well at linebacker in today’s game with how most teams like to sling the ball around.
Micah DeBose – 4-Star OL
DeBose is a 2025 four-star offensive lineman out of Vigor High School in Alabama. The Tide’s new staff has made him a priority from the moment they have taken over in Tuscaloosa.
“The message I got from them is that Alabama is still going to be Alabama,” DeBose told Touchdown Alabama. “Alabama is still going to be the same from how they coming in, from how they speaking and from how they doing things. I feel like Alabama will be good.”
Alabama will host DeBose for an official this month along with several other programs. Alabama is believed to be the leader for DeBose.
At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Debose is already considered one of the nation’s top 2025 offensive tackles. He paves the way for Vigor’s running attack as he destroys defenders while run blocking in space as he has shown an ability to get to the second level.
Keelon Russell – 4-Star QB
Russell is currently committed to SMU, but Alabama looks to be putting the full court press on the four-star quarterback out of Texas. He is set to officially visit the Tide next month.
The SMU commit has received a lot of praise in recent weeks including from his trainer, Brad Stanfield, who also trains Jalen Milroe.
“When you look at him, meet him and then you see his skill set, you’re just thinking if this kid is everything that I’m seeing in front of my face, this kid’s got a chance to be really freaking good,” Stanfield said. “When it comes to skillset, I put this kid through a bunch of NFL stuff, and he picked it up pretty much that day. It was pretty impressive, and so to watch him be able to do and then not overthink but do what you ask him right away is super impressive. There is nothing I don’t think the kid can’t do.”
Alabama will have an opportunity to become the favorite to flip Russell with a great weekend visit.
At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Russell is a dual-threat quarterback, who can launch the ball deep with impressive accuracy and ball placement, and he can go to work when he is called upon to tuck the ball and run. He also keeps his head up and his eyes down the field when he is escaping pressure to make some exciting throws on the run.
Marcus Harris – 4-Star WR
Harris did not mince words after he earned an Alabama offer in January and visited in Early February. He expressed the Tide had shaken up his recruitment. He made his way back to Tuscaloosa in April and watched the Tide in spring practice and got to continue to build his relationship with the Tide.
“It was great, finally got to see how Coach Shep coaches his players, and I loved the way he coaches,” Harris told Touchdown Alabama. “I definitely felt myself getting closer with the staff for sure. I also got to spend some time with Ryan Williams.”
Harris is down to Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas. He will officially visit each school in June and a decision is likely to follow.
Alabama has done a good job of showing Harris he is wanted in Tuscaloosa. Jamarcus Shephard, Alabama’s wide receiver coach, has had a relationship with Harris, dating back to his time at Washington. Their relationship and the respect Harris for the program point to the Tide being a very serious contender in this one.
The Mater Dei product is an explosive wide receiver at 6-foot and 180 pounds. He is an impressive route runner, who can create separation off the line of scrimmage, and he has the ability to go up and get the football. Haris feels he can do whatever is needed at wide receiver.
GET THE BEST ALABAMA FOOTBALL INSIDER INFORMATION, MESSAGE BOARD ACCESS, AND RECRUITING COVERAGE TODAY! SIGN UP HERE TO UNLOCK OUR SUBSCRIBER ONLY CONTENT!*
Justin Smith is the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
