Alabama 2024 EDGE commit Sterling Dixon called his visit to rival Auburn on Monday “great.”
“The coaches showed me a lot of love,” Dixon said of his most recent trip to the Plains. “Coach (Hugh) Freeze is in contact with me a lot. I think this was definitely one of my better visits up there.”
The 6-foot-3, 211-pound Dixon committed to Alabama in December and told AL.com on Tuesday he remains committed to the Crimson Tide though he clearly hasn’t shut the door on other opportunities completely.
“Right now, I’m still looking, but I feel like I’m going to Alabama,” he said.
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Dixon, the Class 3A Lineman of the Year after making 172 tackles as a junior, said Auburn’s hiring of Freeze has put the Tigers back in play for some key recruits across the state.
“He has brought more excitement there,” he said. “A lot of people want to go see Auburn now. I feel like it is a different atmosphere there now. The coaches around him are great. Everyone is on the same page. They treat players and recruits like family.”
Dixon said he is enjoying the recruiting process but admits it can be stressful.
“I just want to make the right decision for my future,” he said. “I have a three-year plan. I’m trying to go to college for three years and then go to the NFL. I’m looking for whichever school gives me the best chance to fulfill that goal.”
Dixon’s 172 tackles last fall along with his 18 sacks were a school single-season record. He also had 39 tackles for a loss. Last month, he was named the defensive line MVP at an Under Armour Next camp in Atlanta.
“He is such a goal-oriented guy,” Mobile Christian head coach Ronnie Cottrell said of Dixon. “I expect him to just keep improving. The way he works in the weight room, he trains at other places, he has a personal coach who helps him – he’s just going to get better and better after an outstanding junior year.”
Cottrell, a former recruiter at Florida State and Alabama, agrees with Dixon that there has been a difference in Auburn’s recruiting approach with the arrival of the new staff.
“He (Freeze) came by here,” Cottrell said. “He was impressive. He came by with coach (Zac) Etheridge. I think they are just putting a lot more emphasis on their relationships with high school coaches and high schools themselves. It’s just totally different.”
Dixon also is still being recruiting by another of Alabama’s SEC West rivals, LSU. He visited Baton Rouge, La., last week.
“They treated me like family, really rolled out the red carpet,” he said. “Coach (Brian) Kelly is going a great job of recruiting me as is coach Freeze.”
Dixon isn’t the only Gulf Coast Alabama commit that Auburn is still recruiting.
“Me, Ryan (Williams), Perry (Thompson) … they keep in touch with us,” Dixon said. “They treat us like family. I feel like it’s going to be a great year for Auburn this year.”
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