Having a brother go through recruiting certainly opens your eyes to the process. Playing for a high school football factory that puts players into top programs every year obviously prepares you for the process. Being invited by Nike to its Oregon camp means you are one of the best recruits in the country. None of that though could prepare you for the first phone call from Alabama’s Nick Saban, telling you he wants you to be a member of the Crimson Tide family. That is why is was no surprise that Buford (GA) linebacker Dillon Lee pledged his college football future to Alabama Monday with Florida State’s offer coming in second and Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldog offer finishing in the “other’s receiving consideration” pile along with USC.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Lee of playing college football and he will certainly have the chance to play in the top conference in the land following his senior year with Buford. Lee spoke highly of Saban and Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart when he joined The Official Visit yesterday, just hours after announcing his decision to pledge to Alabama. “I’ve been on a lot of (unofficial) visits this year and I want to focus on my senior year.”
What was it about Alabama though that made Lee want to pull the trigger this early in the process? “I like the defensive scheme and how I fit in down there,” said the linebacker about why he made his future selection. He admitted as well that he liked the facilities, the players and the coaching staff, especially Smart. “It is hard not to go there.” Lee said he will play the Mike linebacker position at Alabama.
Immediately after he declared, he said he let the other coaches that finished behind Alabama know and he was relieved that they were not upset. “The other coaches made it a lot easier than they could have,” Lee said. Several of the coaches even wished him luck and told him that if he had second thoughts, the offer still stood.
One of those coaches was Georgia’s Mark Richt. Lee called the Bulldogs’ head coach a nice guy but admitted that his brother playing for the Dawgs really didn’t factor into his decision. “My brother went through the process, so I saw what it would be like…but it wasn’t particularly hard (to say no to Georgia),” according to Lee.
Georgia did get in late in the recruiting process, only offering several weeks ago. If the Bulldogs had come forth with an offer months ago when the process started, Lee, after a long pause believes maybe he’d be picking a different school. “It probably could have played a part.”
Regardless, Lee said he will take only one official visit, to Alabama and he will try and help the Tide recruit, especially in Georgia where Saban has already had some success this year. He has several teammates that have received national attention including stud offensive tackle Vadal Alexander. “Our (Buford) team is really close. We hand out and joke about (the recruiting process),” said Lee.
This summer, look for Lee at the Nike Oregon Camp and then you’ll likely find him in the weight room. He noted he will lift with his team and do some extra workouts on his own and watch more film than ever. “I’m fully committed to winning games and I’ll do whatever it takes to win.” He has won a state title every year he has been in high school, and Alabama can only look forward to his winning attitude at the next level.
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