The move is about getting better, playing on a bigger stage and preparing for his time at Alabama. And, yes, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele support his move.

Those are just some of the things Alabama linebacker commitment Sterling Dixon shared Tuesday in an interview on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile a day after it was announced he is transferring from Mobile Christian to Spanish Fort High School.

There was plenty of speculation about where the 4-star linebacker would land for his senior year. Yes, IMG was on the table, he said, but, in the end, it was about family.

“My whole family really wanted to go there,” the 2022 Class 3A Lineman of the Year said Tuesday of Spanish Fort. “My sisters – they were home-schooled before this – wanted to go to a school like Spanish Fort.

“For me, I was all about the family move. I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ I just wanted to play a bigger brand of football, so it just helps everybody out. I’m just ready to get there and prove myself.”

That’s not to say Dixon, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior, isn’t going to miss his former team and coaches. As a junior, Dixon recorded 172 tackles and 18 sacks – both of which were Mobile Christian records. He also had 39 tackles for a loss.

“It was definitely difficult,” he said. “It was something I had to pray about because I honestly didn’t know. (Mobile Christian) coach (Ronnie) Cottrell has been so good to me. I really appreciate him and Mobile Christian because that school’s been great to me. It was hard leaving. I just wanted to do what was best for me and my family.”

His former coach isn’t the only one supporting the No. 10-ranked senior recruit in the state. Dixon said his future coaches – Saban and Steele – have voiced their support for the move, too.

“They called yesterday,” Dixon said of Alabama coaches. “They keep in touch. We definitely talked about it. I let Kevin Steele and Nick Saban know about it a week before I knew I was going to do it. They are supporting me. They were like, ‘Just finish your year strong.’”

Dixon plans to sport the No. 10 jersey this year, citing former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster.

“I just want to enjoy high school,” Dixon said. “I want to play at the biggest stage in high school. There games are always packed out. …

“It’s a pretty exciting atmosphere to play around. For me, it’s going to be a warm up before college. They run everything like a college system.”

Check out the full interview here.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.