The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 23.

On Aug. 28, 2000, UMS-Wright had won 34 straight games and Sterling Dixon had never played in a high school football. The freshman didn’t start that night for Mobile Christian, but when he did enter the game, he recorded a sack on his first play.

“I was definitely scared,” Dixon said. “But the coaches put me in on third-and-long and they sent me on a blitz. I was fired up. I had been practicing with the varsity since my eighth-grade year and giving them fits. The coaches were telling me I could be the next big dog. It was great to make that first play.”

The Leopards went on to snap the UMS-Wright winning streak with a 25-24 victory in overtime as current Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson scored on a walk-off, two-point conversion run. The game also served as a launching point for Dixon being one of the most dynamic performers in the state over the last three years.

Dixon will play his senior season at Spanish Fort before joining Lawson in Tuscaloosa in December.

Interestingly, the state championship games will be played in Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.

“I feel like we’re going to win a state championship. That’s why I came to Spanish Fort,” Dixon said. “Playing opposite (Louisville commit) Cole McConathy and alongside so many great players, it’s going to be a blessing.”

Last year, Dixon recorded 172 tackles, 39 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. He had an incredible game in the playoff opener against undefeated Houston Academy by recording six sacks, four tackles for loss, 15.5 tackles, nine quarterback hurries and a pass deflection in leading the Leopards to a 30-3 blowout win.

Dixon is a longtime commit to Alabama, but that hasn’t stopped teams like LSU and Auburn from continuing to pursue him.

“I can’t wait to get to Alabama,” said Dixon, who weighs 215 pounds but plans to play at 230 in college. “For me, they just recruited me best. While they were recruiting Deontae, they were making sure to show me the love, too. People have always compared me to Deontae, and he’s even talked about it. But we’re a little different. Rushing the passer is my specialty. His role is more as a true inside linebacker. He always recognized plays faster than me and he was a smarter player than me. But I learned a lot from watching him and I’m continuing to learn. I’m truly blessed.”

A-LIST NO. 7: STERLING DIXON, SPANISH FORT

Position: Linebacker

Height/weight: 6-3, 215

College status: Committed to Alabama.

Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: Sterling Dixon has been a major-college prospect since he burst on the high school scene as a ninth grader. His best skill is his uncanny ability to outmaneuver blockers on his way to the quarterback. What he has as a pass-rusher is hard to teach.

THE 2024 A-LIST

No. 15: Josh Flowers, QB, Baker

No. 14: Bobby Pruitt, LB, Theodore

No. 13: JaCorey Whitted, TE, McAdory

No. 12: Kevin Riley, RB, Tuscaloosa County

No. 11: J’Marion Burnette, RB, Andalusia

No. 10: William Sanders, OL, Brookwood

No. 9: Jordan Ross, EDGE, Vestavia Hills

No. 8: Joseph Phillips, LB, Booker T. Washington

No. 7: Sterling Dixon, LB, Spanish Fort