Nebraska football top target trending hard to Alabama

It can be tough to beat SEC schools on the recruiting trail and that’s something that Nebraska football fans have learned once again this past week.

First, Broderick Shull, a four-star offensive tackle who called Nebraska football his co-leader after his visit, committed to Auburn following his official visit to the Tigers.

That was a blow. Shull was one of the top tackle targets left on the board and since landing five-star David Sanders feels like a pipe dream, the Huskers probably missed out.

Top Nebraska recruiting target is trending to Alabama

They are also going to miss out on elite defender Dawson Merritt. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker out of Overland Park, Kansas, visited Alabama this past weekend and now, the expert projections are all coming in for the Crimson Tide.

The Huskers did shoot their shot. They host Merritt for the spring game. His dad, an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, even got time off from work to be there for the visit. Afterward, Merritt said his recruitment was down to Nebraska football and Alabama.

Merritt is ranked 87th overall in the 2025 class according to the On3 Industry rankings but it seems as though the Alabama visit was the difference maker. Some expert projections have started flooding in and now there are three projections for Alabama to land Merritt according to the On3 prediction machine. One of those includes notable recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong.

The On3 prediction machine now gives Alabama a 98-percent chance of landing Merritt, while the Huskers are under two percent. There aren’t any future visits expected and a commitment might come soon. Hopefully, the Huskers can turn the tide, but against SEC programs, it can be tough.

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