2017 inside linebacker Gary Johnson, out of Dodge City Community College in Kansas, has committed to Alabama, he tells BamaOnLine.

"Alabama has always been my top school," Johnson said. "Even without an offer from them, I felt like I wanted to go there and play there. And to get that offer, it was pretty exciting, but I wanted to talk it over with my parents face-to-face and see what they thought of it. Once I talked with my parents, I felt like I needed to let Coach (Nick) Saban and Coach (Billy) Napier know that I wanted to commit.

"They were pretty excited. They just told me if I was committed to them then they would be committed to me no matter what. Really they said I can come in and play a huge role if I put in the work and the time and the effort. I mean, that's all I ever wanted was a chance. For them to give me the opportunity I felt like I should take that chance and come in and make a name for myself at Alabama."

Johnson, who has three years of eligibility to play two, talked about going the junior college route out of high school.

"It's a pretty exciting process, but I still have a lot to prove committed or not," Johnson said. "I still want to be able to play with a chip on my shoulder and prove myself."

The rising linebacker plans to continue to listen to other programs despite his commitment.

Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound prospect, is originally from Atlanta, Ga. and played his high school football at Douglas (Ala.). He earned an offer from the Crimson Tide at the end of February.

Wide receivers coach Billy Napier is the primary recruiter on file for Johnson, who chose Bama over additional offers from Georgia, Louisville and Ole Miss, among others.

Johnson is the seventh commitment in the 2017 cycle maintaining the Tide's No. 6 spot, according to the 247Sports Team Rankings.

Last season, Johnson 133 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks and four interceptions.

Stay tuned for more details on this breaking story ...

Alabama’s 2017 recruiting class has seven commits currently. For the full list of offers, click here.

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