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Nebraska Football: Patrick Payton gives Huskers pass-rushing asset

By Danny Jaillet

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 01: Detail view of a Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet on the field before the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers won 49-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 01: Detail view of a Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet on the field before the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers won 49-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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This is a huge commitment for Nebraska football.

To say that the state of Florida has treated Nebraska football well would be an understatement. Friday, they landed a commitment from outside linebacker Patrick Payton.

Payton is the 42nd overall linebacker in his class, and the 78th overall player from his class in the state of Florida per the 247 sports composite rankings. He went to Miami Northwestern High School and is a member of the class of 2021.

Northwestern may sound extremely familiar to Nebraska fans. Ronald Delancey and Marcus Fleming are also from Miami Northwestern. Miami Northwestern  seems like an area of success for Nebraska, and it makes sense that they keep going back to the proverbial well.

In addition to Nebraska, Payton also had offers from FIU, Florida State, Georgia, and Kansas.

https://twitter.com/PatPayton6/status/1256291106335141888

He comes to Lincoln with a bit of pedigree. According to his profile on 247Sports, he was named the Miami Herald All-Dade 8A- 5A First-Team selection after he recorded 17.5 sacks last season at Miami Northwestern. He was also named to the Miami Dolphins High School Player of the Week after he recorded a five-sack outing against Miami Columbus. As if that was not enough, he was named the top performer by 247Sports at the Legends Football All-Junior Showcase.

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What can he bring to Nebraska football? When you look at how he plays the game, it’s rather easy to see what he can bring to the table for them. He is a bona fide pass rusher who is energetic and explodes off the line. Measuring in at six-foot-five, 205 pounds, he is an absolute beast in the trenches and gets after the quarterback. This type of play style is something that Nebraska football has needed for quite some time. Defensively, Scott Frost and his staff are making an effort to recruit players who can get after the quarterback and play aggressively. These types of recruiting efforts will pay off in the near future.

Payton’s commitment helps add to what is a stellar 2021 class.  After complaining about the lack of commitments in the class on Thursday, this commitment from Payton helps rectify it. Nebraska has seemed to have found a recruiting hotspot at  Miami Northwestern. Hopefully, they can continue to use that school as a venue in which they can guarantee commitments. Having a place where they know they can land talent players would certainly be beneficial for Scott Frost and his staff. Particularly with the abundance of talent in the Sunshine State, this would certainly not be a bad thing.

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