While pulling together a blogpost about which true freshman is most likely to start at CU (see link) , I realized I made a startling omission. I had completed a Hello! post for every freshman — except London Merritt. Well, consider this my mea culpa to Mr. Merritt. We are now 12 for 12 with freshman Hello! posts, which is also the number of wins out of 12 that I expect for CU this regular season. Anyone else want some kool-aid?
Position:
Defensive End.
The Details:
| 247 | On3 | ESPN | Rivals | |
| Ranking | 92.46/100 4 stars #144 natl. #34 edge #35 player in Florida | 90.42/100 4 stars #307 natl. #35 edge #43 player in Florida | 4 stars #171 natl #14 edge #25 player in Florida | 6.0/6.1 4 stars #59 natl #5 edge #13 player in Florida |
| Height/Weight | 6’2.5” 250 pounds | 6’2” 255 pounds | 6’3″ 255 pounds | 6’3 230 pounds |
| Composite | 92.46/100 4 stars #201 natl. #17 edge #32 player in Florida | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Each of the services have Merrit as a 4-star edge, and he hovers right around the top 200 players nationally.
High School:
Merritt split his prep career between Georgia and Florida.
Merritt played his sophomore and junior seasons at Woodward Academy High School in Atlanta. He spent much of his time at Woodward playing as a stand-up defensive end in an odd-front. During Merritt’s junior year, Woodward went on to finish as state runner-up in the 6A division (at the time, the 2nd largest division in the State of Georgia).
His CU bio notes that Merritt played varsity basketball at Woodward Academy and averaged 20.0 points per game, but I find no such basketball player on Woodward Academy’s roster on Maxpreps so — maybe not? If that stat is real, he vaults to the top of the “best basketball player in this recruiting class” list, although Zayne DeSouza is also a standout basketball player.
Famous Woodward alums include NBA player Walker Kessler, SNL alum Kenan Thompson, and 90s rap due Kriss Kross (will make you jump! jump!).
CU fans, you can’t get this info anywhere else.
These kids were wiggity wiggity wiggity whack.
Merritt transferred to IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) for his senior year under head coach Billy Miller. IMG Academy is a boarding school for high level high school athletes, and most of the starters at IMG go onto big-time division 1 scholarships. IMG is the home to numerous CU football players, including OT Jordan Seaton, DL Alexander McPherson, and long snapper Gabe Landers (and former Buff and current Human ATM / Texas Tech Red Raider Cash Cleveland).
At IMG, Merritt played 8 games and finished with 23 tackles, 4.0 TFL and 15 quarterback hurries (and 1 sack).
Merritt picked up valuable experience at elite camps during his high school career: he was named to the Under Armour All-American Game and also attended the Rivals Five-Star Camp. In 2023, he was named lineman MVP at the 2023 Under Armour Future 50 camp. Here is a cut-up of some of his pass-rush moves at the camp.
The Scoooooooop:
Merritt was one of the nation’s most pursued recruits. He held 39 scholarship offers and was long courted by major programs (Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, etc.). His offer list is as impressive as any player in recent CU history this side of Jordan Seaton and Juju Lewis.
Originally Merritt committed to Ohio State in March 2024, which was a major mistake because Ohio State sucks (Go Blue!). He also took an official visit to Georgia Tech. CU continued to recruit him, however, and he visited Colorado twice in the fall of 2024. On his first visit, he visited along with his high school teammate, whirling linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng. While Owusus-Boateng committed to Michigan (beacuse he too agrees that Ohio State sucks), Merritt committed to Colorado on November 28, 2 days after decommitting from Ohio State.
Merritt cited the atmosphere in Folsom Field as a primary reason for his committment.
“The atmosphere was electric. All the fans were crazy. The fans were yelling at us recruits telling us to commit, ‘This is the place for you,’ and things in that nature. I liked that a lot because it let me know that not only the fans pay attention to the games, but they also know that recruiting is very important for their team’s success.”
Merritt arrived on campus as one of the capstone recruits of CU’s 2024/25 class.
Roll the tape!
After watching his tape, the biggest question that I have about Merritt is whether he is bendy enough to be an edge in an even front (with 4 down linemen) or whether his natural position will be a power end in a 3-4 odd front defense. While CU defensive coordinator Rob Livingston likes to play with multiple fronts, most of the time CU is in an even front which will mean that Merritt is going to be playing edge most of the time.
It wouldn’t surprise me, however, if his NFL future is as a full-time 3 technique at the NFL level.
With all that said, Merritt is very heavy-handed, and his punch routinely knocks offensive tackles off-balance. He shows really good strength, and will continue to work to pair that with more refined pass rush moves. 247’s Director of Scouting Andrew Irvins said that Merritt reminds him of Atlanta Falcon’s Brandon Dorlus. He added:
[Merritt] jolts offensive tackles and tight ends with a formidable punch and can pick up quick wins by sliding and dipping his way around blockers, although the sack total doesn’t always show for it. Flashes some instincts as a run defender and uses impressive short-area quickness to make stops in pursuit as he changes course and keeps the legs pumping.
Merritt has a high floor and will be a strong and dependable run stopper. His ceiling will be dependent on his ability to develop his pass rush.
But how will he fit into the CU multi-verse?
Apparently pretty well. Merritt is already well prepped for the CU limelight, having made his commitment official on Shannon Sharpe’s and Chad Ochocinco’s “Nitghtcap” show. I didn’t see it, because I assume “Nightcap” airs after my 9:30 pm.
Overall excitement level (out of 5 stars)
3.5 stars. Merritt has the physical tools and production to be a difference‑maker, but he’s not yet a finished product. His All‑American invites and high rating reflect top‑tier potential, yet he’ll need seasoning at the college level (adding flexibility will be critical). I suspect Merritt will contribute in Year 1 on the edge and perhaps blossom into a power end / 3 technique later in his career as he puts on added weight.