Nebraska Football makes cut for key 4-star target

Nebraska football made the final two schools for 2025 four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt. He made the announcement on Wednesday, and his father posted a tweet confirming the news.

This is somebody that Nebraska football has coveted for quite a while. He is the 13^th overall linebacker in the 2025 class, and the third overall player in his class in the state of Kansas per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Florida State, Michigan, and Missouri were also schools involved in his recruitment. However, he has now narrowed that down.

Merritt had a stellar junior high school season, recording 83 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries for Blue Valley high school.

He most recently visited Nebraska on April 26 for the spring football game.

When you take look at the Nebraska football defense, Merritt would fit perfectly in terms of scheme. He can both rush the passer and come down and make a play on the run. The common denominator in both those situations is his speed. His speed allows him to be involved in almost every play.

Athleticism is also very noticeable in his game. This is where he would fit the Nebraska football defense the best. His instincts and his ability to cover ground quickly would make him a perfect fit in this defense. We saw last year how involved the linebackers were in the scheme. Merritt would be able to slide in and have an instant impact.

Here we go…
I’m exciting times…
The Final TWO 🙏🏾🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/1e5QPl2Lv0

— David Merritt, Sr. (@DavidMerrittSr1) May 16, 2024

Taking stock of the 2025 Nebraska football recruiting class

Currently, the 2025 Nebraska recruiting class ranks 30^th overall nationally per the 247Sports Rankings. The Huskers did have a big weekend as they were able to land a commitment from four-star quarterback TJ Lateef.  The 2025 class is shaping up nicely, and it looks like this will be another situation where the program will have most of the class done by the beginning of the 2024 season.

It will be interesting to see if Nebraska will be able to land Merritt. Obviously, Alabama is a formidable contender. However, they will be not the same program they once were with Nick Saban at the helm. This should give the Huskers a little bit of a chance to make positive inroads and make a strong impression.

This coaching staff has done a good job of sealing the deal with recruits. Landing Merritt would be the ultimate prize.

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