Nebraska football running ahead in race for 4-star LB

Dawson Merritt would be a very big get for the Nebraska football team looking to stock up on linebacker talent.
Nebraska Cornhuskers running back is tackled by Kansas defender
Nebraska Cornhuskers running back is tackled by Kansas defender / Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
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One of the best linebacker prospects in Nebraska football’s patented 500-mile radius is going to be paying Matt Rhule and company a couple of visits this spring and summer. Because of those two planned visits, the Huskers appear to be sitting pretty in the race for Dawson Merritt.

While there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on where the 4-star backer out of Blue Valley High will go, one recruiting service believes the Nebraska football team has done enough to stand head and shoulders above the competition.

On3 believes the Huskers have a 57 percent chance of nabbing the pledge of Dawson Merritt. That leaves all other contenders in teh dust, including both of the major programs from the 6-foot-3, 205 pound defender’s home state.

The Kansas Jayhawks are considered the Nebraska Cornhuskers closest competition, but at the moment, the experts at On3 believes they have just a 10 percent chance to stealing Merritt away from NU. Kansas State is 3rd in the current rankings with just a 9.2 percent chance of winning the race.

Nebraska football going into old rival territory for Dawson Merritt

It’s certainly interesting to see the Huskers going into their old stomping grounds in order to try and land one of the best linebackers in the 2025 class. Since arriving in Lincoln, head coach Matt Rhule has worked hard to go out and get players in the 500-mile radius of Lincoln.

Now he’ll get the opportunity to really sell the Nebraska footbal program to Merritt first when he comes to Memorial Stadium on April 13 and then again when he takes an official visit on June 14-16. It will be the second and third time the linebacker has been to Lincoln after that OV.

One reason the Cornhuskers are currently considered the favorites to land one of the top prospects in the state of Kansas is because of his relationship with linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek. While Dvoracek is under the radar as a recruiting for most Husker fans, Dawson Merritt has been singing his praises for months.

That could pay off in a Nebraska football commit at a position of need in the 2025 class.