Alabama football had already landed two blue-chip commitments this week: four-star offensive lineman Micah DeBose and four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt. On Friday, the Crimson Tide’s recruiting momentum continued with its highest-ranked Class of 2025 commitment to date.
Five-star cornerback Dijon Lee, the No. 1 ranked player in California and the No. 22 player in his class according to the 247Sports Composite, picked Alabama over Georgia, Texas and more. Lee, who is listed at roughly 6 foot 4, 190 pounds, is the fourth defensive back in the 2025 class, and he continues a trend of West Coast prospects in this class committing to Alabama. The Mission Viejo, Calif., product makes five commits from the state of California, more than Alabama had in its last three classes combined.
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On Jan. 16 Lee became one of the first players to be offered in the wake of Alabama’s hire of coach Kalen DeBoer, and he has been a top priority for the new staff, making two unofficial visits during spring practice and an official visit last weekend. Position coach Maurice Linguist led the way as primary recruiter and has done a good job stacking talent to a position that was hit hard by attrition following Nick Saban’s retirement. Four-star cornerback Chuck McDonald committed to the Tide in early June.
With Lee’s decision, Alabama is up to 20 commits and remains the No. 2 class nationally.
Lee has flashed position versatility and college-ready traits while starring for Mission Viejo High, which plays in California’s top division alongside powerhouses such as Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Long Beach Poly. He has recorded 87 tackles, 16 pass deflections and four interceptions over the last two seasons. In addition, he averaged 29 yards per kick return last season.
Outside of football, Lee’s one of the best track and field athletes in the state, with marks of 20 feet 10 inches in the long jump and 44 feet 6 inches in the triple jump. That explosion shows up on tape, where he can use his length and athleticism to shut off opposing receivers as well as being a factor in the run game.
At his height and weight, it’s possible Lee could transition to safety during his college career, though every school has recruited him as a cornerback. Lee could follow a similar path as current freshman Zay Mincey, another rangy five-star defensive back who cross-trained across the secondary during spring practice.
Alabama’s secondary is a unit in transition. Only two players, Malachi Moore and DeVonta Smith, are out of eligibility after this season, and of the 14 total players at the position, seven are true or redshirt freshmen. Alabama needs to continue building depth over the next few classes, and securing Lee is a major win toward that effort.
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / Tuscaloosa News / USA Today)
