Mission Viejo (Calif.) five-star cornerback Dijon Lee gave Texas, Texas A&M and Washington strong looks, but it came down to Alabama and Georgia for him.
Ultimately though, the Tide won out, landing his commitment on Friday.
“It was a really tough decision because I have great relationships at both places and I felt at home at Alabama and Georgia, so I had to weigh all of my options and choose one,” Lee told On3. “It was very tight before the official visit to Alabama.
“I can’t say anything bad about Georgia because I love them too, but I had to pick one, and Alabama just felt like the best fit for me. After the official visit, I knew where I wanted to go.
“For me, it came down to the relationships, player development, the trust I have in the coaches and how I vibe with the players were big factors. I think the Alabama coaching staff does a great job as a group. That made a big difference.”
Relationships were key in Lee’s decision
Washington jumped on Lee early. It was a school high on his list this time a year ago. Those connections paid off and helped Alabama win this battle on the recruiting trail.
“One of the big things that put Alabama on top was my relationships with Courtney Morgan and coach Mo (Maurice Linguist). I have known Courtney for a while, me and coach Mo clicked right away and those relationships were key.
“Washington recruiting me early helped them tremendously because the relationships with already there. They have always been real, I have trusted them from the beginning and that connection from Washington really did help Alabama.
“Coach Courtney, Coach Kalen DeBoer and the guys that went to Alabama at Washington believed in me early. We have that trust and that was big.”
Lee was focused more on his relationships with coach Linguist, guys that work his position and the players he will be around in Tuscaloosa, but he is excited about playing for coach DeBoer too.
“He is a winner. I expect Alabama to make a run at the playoffs every year. Coach DeBoer is a great coach, he has shown that he can win and I know he can develop players. They are recruiting well, they have a great staff and coach DeBoer is going to keep Alabama winning like it has been.”
Lee sees a bright future in Tuscaloosa
Lee is the latest addition to a top recruiting class for Alabama. The No. 30 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking knows a lot of the recent commits and he is excited to be a part of the program in Tuscaloosa.
“The class is going to be great. Alabama is Alabama, but I think these guys want to play for this staff because of their backgrounds in developing players, how they build relationships and how hard they recruit.
“Going to Alabama, you will get developed by multiple coaches, you will compete against great players and you will win.”
He will be winning in the SEC too. Lee grew up on the west coast watching USC, but he knows what the SEC is all about. And he is excited to be a part of it.
“The SEC is the best. It is on top of college and it has added Texas and Oklahoma. The SEC has the best players, best teams and it could have 5-6 teams in the SEC in the playoffs. SEC football is different.”
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