Liberty has picked up a commitment from defensive tackle Brian Merritt from Gulf Coast Community College. Merritt is the second commitment in the Class of 2021 joining offensive lineman Harrison Hayes.
Merritt and Liberty have flirted since head coach Hugh Freeze took over at Liberty in December 2018. Originally from Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia, Merritt announced a final two of FAU and Liberty prior to the February signing period in February 2019. He ultimately committed to Lane Kiffin and the Owls.
He ended up at Gulf Coast Community College where he spent the 2019 season, and he and Liberty have continued to recruit one another.
The 6’1″, 290 pound athlete played in 12 games this past season, recording 39 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. He also had offers from Houston, Troy, UTSA, and South Alabama.
Merritt graduated from Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia, coached by Rush Propst. Propst is the legendary high school football coach that was featured in the MTV series Two-A-Days when he was head coach at Hoover High in Alabama. Merritt had more than a dozen offers out of high school including Georgia State, FAU, MTSU, Pitt, South Alabama, West Virginia, Tulane, and UAB.
