Nebraska football possibly on verge of stealing top LB prospect from SEC power

The Nebraska football team was once as out as out can be for in-state prospect Chase Loftin. Now the Huskers are hosting the Millard South linebacker for its contest against UCLA, and it’s expected that he’ll commit to NU before the weekend is over.

The Huskers were considered as out as out can be for Stillwell, Kansas linebacker Dawson Merritt. He’d pulled the trigger on Alabama and it’s pretty damn hard to steal a commit away from the Crimson Tide. However, it looks like NU might be back in the race for him as well.

The Nebraska football team is, in fact, according to some analysts now favored to grab Merrit. That’s even if no one is going on the record with Crystal Balls or RPM predictions. And it looks like Merritt’s relationship with several Husker commits could be an x-factor.

Nebraska football back in the race for Dawson Merritt?

This isn’t the first time the Huskers were considered the front runners for the 4-star linebacker. That’s a big reason why some analysts see them stealing him away from the SEC power.

It’s worth remembering Merritt told HuskerMax after his September visit to Lincoln that he is close with current 2026 quarterback commit Dayton Raiola and five-star 2025 target Michael Terry III. 

The younger Raiola has since committed to the Huskers. Terry hasn’t committed anywhere yet. Though he’s expected to eventually pull the trigger for the Texas Longhorns. On the other hand, NU is thought to at least have a chance to pull the Lone Star state prospect away from Texas.

One way to get either or both Merritt and Terry III might be to get one first. And for now, it looks like Dawson Merritt might be gettable for the Nebraska football team. There’s now just over a month before early signing day. Time to buckle up.