3 reasons why Dawson Merritt's addition to Nebraska Football is absolutely massive

The Nebraska football team got a biggie on Thursday even. After a few days of rumblings, Dawson Merritt made it official. The 4-star linebacker out of Kansas announced he’d committed to the Huskers.

It was a heck of a snag by NU that puts an exclamation point on the last couple of weeks that have been more than a little interesting. There will now be a bit of a worry that the linebacker could switch again before signing day, but at the very least the Huskers only need to hold on to him for a few weeks before he can put pen to paper.

Nebraska Football got a truly interchangeable weapon in Dawson Merritt

Merritt has a great deal of speed that scouts say will allow him to be someone who can succeed at chasing down quarterbacks or go out into coverage. Even better is that the Nebraska football team has some real flexibility as he should be able to in the inside or the outside.

A flip from Alabama takes them inside the Top 20

It’s hardly a surprise at this point. There’s been a lot of talk about how the Huskers were hoping to pull Dawson Merritt away from the Crimson Tide. Now it’s official. And for a Cornhuskers’ class that Rhule hopes can finish in the Top 25 for a second straight year, it’s a big boon. 

Yes, Merritt is talented, and that’s the most important thing but in an age when Nebraska is trying to turn things around after such a long period of bad, getting headlines for good classes is valuable. According to On3 at least, the linebacker’s commitment jumps them from 24th in the country to 19th. 247Sports has them jumping from 27th to 20th.

Newest Nebraska football commit has an NFL-level pedigree

Dawson is the son of Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive backs coach David Merritt, and it’s pretty clear that Merritt’s football IQ is off the charts thanks in no small part to having a dad who knows how to get the most of his players. Dawson Merritt has a ton of talent, but his understanding and his ability to read the play is going to be a massive asset for the Nebraska football team.