In its current iteration, recruitment is more a science than an art. Luring a prospect has drifted away from being about how you sell your program. It has slowly become a more binary question about who can bring more to the table in NIL money. Amidst this shallow trail of thought, one future Husker embraced an orthodox decision-making phenomenon. Listen to your elders’ opinions, a tradition that is perhaps lost on the current crop.

When you’re the son of a 5x Super Bowl-winning coach, that comes rather naturally. Dawson Merritt’s footballing upbringing has prepared him for this moment. His father, Dave Merritt, was the secondary and safeties coach for the NY Giants when Dawson was born. He worked alongside Matt Rhule there. When it was time for Dawson to pick a team, Coach Dave, now with the KC Chiefs, insisted they visit his old colleague’s team in Lincoln before making a decision. Merritt was initially an Alabama commit. Fast forward to now, and he is poised to line up in the Husker Red from 2025 on.

At 6 ‘3 and 215 pounds, Dawson Merritt is a versatile athlete who can play as both a linebacker and further in the D-line. However, he seemingly prefers to be designated as an LB.  At the time of his commitment to Nebraska, Merritt has raked up 58 tackles (including 42 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 pass breakups in his senior year at Blue Valley HS in Overland Park, Kansas.

“My dad kind of thought I was just kind of playing around with football because my freshman year, I wasn’t very good,” Merritt said. “My sophomore year, I was a starter on varsity. That’s when I’d say I got a lot better, but I still wasn’t very good. And then as a junior, I obviously made a huge jump. When I made that jump, my dad really started to help me out. And just even the little things he would say, like how to take on a block, what to do when the tackle does this, what to do when a receiver does this. It’s just all the little things that he knows has helped me.” This breakthrough junior year entailed 83 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Merritt is also a man of faith, and outwardly expressed this being a factor in deciding to come to Nebraska. “Coach Ron Brown, Coach Troy Vincent Jr. and Coach Jamar Mozee are three guys that I talk to at least once a week about things in my life, stuff that goes on in their lives and chapel that they have. They like to reach out and send me scriptures and prayers. They’ve given me a feeling that I’m going to be able to grow my faith greatly there”.

Needless to say, Dawson’s addition will be a massive boost to Matt Rhule’s linebacking core. But this defensive acquisition may permeate positively into his offense as well.

Dawson Merritt has already made some friends over in Lincoln

Dawson Merritt almost instantly hit it off with true freshman QB Dylan Raiola during a visit to Lincoln. Merritt says Raiola “took him under his wing” and was consistently trying to lure him to the Huskers. “What excites me the most about Nebraska is Dylan Raiola”, said Dawson.

Bonding with the star and offensive leader of the jump shows a great deal of personality in Merritt. He hopes to make an instant impact as a freshman, which he has the tools for. Year 3 of the Matt Rhule era is shaping up to be a promising proposition. Dawson is poised to begin life on campus in January 2025. However, he will be in Lincoln before the big day.

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Merritt is lined up to visit Nebraska on November 23rd for the Huskers penultimate game of the 2024 season. This will mark his first visit since announcing his commitment. Husker Nation will be chomping at the bit to make their latest addition feel welcomed.