In going through the recruiting process, Dylan Dixson has heard from a lot of coaches who are trying to get him to come to their school.
One coach really stood out among the rest, however.
A three-star recruit from Pearland (Texas) High School, Dixson last week became the first member of the 2022 recruiting class to verbally commit to Colorado and it was, in part, because of his relationship with CU safeties coach Brett Maxie.
“He did something a lot of coaches really didn’t do,” said Dixson, who plays outside linebacker but is likely to move to safety at CU. “He would send me motivational quotes, and most of those motivational quotes actually pertained to stuff in my life.
“I felt like it was the best step for me for a guy who was ready to mentor me and take me under his wing and for me to get the chance to play under him. He’s had experience in the (NFL) himself, so in order to get to be the best, you’ve got to learn from the best.”
Dixson chose CU over Arizona State, Florida State, Missouri and a few other schools. According to 247Sports.com, he has 10 scholarship offers.
It wasn’t just Maxie that impressed Dixson, though.
From a football standpoint, Dixson said he’s impressed with what head coach Karl Dorrell has done in his short time at CU. Hired nearly a year ago, Dorrell led the Buffaloes through a 4-2 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I wanted to hop on the train first because I knew it wasn’t going to be long before people realize that Colorado is really a sleeper school,” he said. “They’re really going to be big time. They’re a few pieces away. Coach Dorrell came in there in February and had the season he had. Imagine what he’s going to do with a whole offseason.”
Dixson’s parents played a key role in his decision, as well. His father has watched all the teams recruiting his son and Dixson said, “He saw the best out of Colorado for me.” His mother has visited the state a few times and “loves Colorado,” he said.
“I already was really into Colorado,” he said. “My mom’s been there and my dad loves it, so for me, it’s automatic. It meant a lot that my parents liked it.”
According to MaxPreps.com, Dixson recorded 45 tackles, four interceptions – one he returned for a touchdown – and three fumble recoveries in 10 games as a junior this year. He also caught four passes on offense, turning two of those into touchdowns.
Although he’s played outside linebacker at Pearland, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Dixson projects as a safety at CU. He currently rates as the No. 45 player in Texas by the 247Sports composite rankings.
“It seems I’m going to play the strong safety position, which I think best fits me because it’s closest to the line,” he said. “I’m more of a run fit/tight end type guy. I felt that best fits me because as a linebacker, I feel like I’m more of a coverage linebacker in the first place. It really wouldn’t be a big adaptation to move to strong safety.”
Moving to Colorado in 2022 will be a big adjustment for him, but he likes that CU recruits heavily in Texas and that he’ll have others around him from the same area.
Really, there’s not much Dixson doesn’t like about CU.
“I feel like it best fit me as a player,” he said.
