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Both of his parents studied in Logan. His older sister is a senior at Utah State. His game reminds many of departed star Tyler Newbold.
Was there any chance that Sam Merrill wasn't going to end up at USU, once assistant Chris Jones extended an offer?
If there was any doubt, it was put to rest this morning, as the shooting guard from Bountiful committed to the Aggies.
"I'm very happy to be there," Merrill told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday. "It still hasn't sank in that this is going to be where I play my college basketball."
Merrill committed on Saturday night, but kept it quiet until this morning, when he took to his twitter feed. He is one of the best talents in the Class of 2014, and a close friend to Brekkott Chapman, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Roy, and maybe the most coveted recruit in the junior class, now the Dalton Nixon has committed to BYU.
With offers from all three major schools, Chapman is a close friend of Merrill's. He took a visit to USU last Thursday, and most observers say that it's currently Utah and Utah State leading for his services.
Naturally, Chapman was one of the first text messages Merrill sent out.
"We definitely want him on board now," Merrill said. "I'm trying hard to talk him into coming along."
Merrill has been an Aggie lean since he received his offer. His plan is to play for a year, and then embark on an LDS Church mission for two years.
He had another offer from San Francisco, and interest from the likes of Utah and Boise State, before committing.
Tony Jones