Seldom does the Nebraska football team defeat Alabama in recruiting games. However, on Thursday, head coach Matt Rhule and his team did the unthinkable: they turned a Crimson Tide recruit over to the Cornhuskers.
Dawson Merritt, a four-star edge rusher, changes his mind and commits to Nebraska. On3.com’s Hayes Fawcett verified that Merritt is indeed traveling to Lincoln rather than Tuscaloosa. On June 7, he decided on ‘Bama.
For Rhule and Nebraska, landing the 6-foot-3, 215-pound player is a huge recruiting success. Alabama commits were rarely persuaded to change their minds by the Cornhuskers. Prior to signing the letter of intent, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban made sure that highly sought-after recruits were locked in. Even Ivan Taylor, a four-star safety commit from Michigan, is expected to be flipped by this Crimson Tide class.
But back in September, there were hints that Merritt and Nebraska might end up together. Prior to the Colorado game on September 5, Rhule and the Cornhuskers hosted a number of recruits, including the then-Alabama commit.
Now that the early signing period is less than a month away, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer has suffered a significant recruiting setback. Merritt is the second former Tide pledge to back out.
Caleb Cunningham, a five-star wide receiver, left Alabama on Tuesday. Cunningham will instead attend Ole Miss, a rival in the SEC. However, Rhule and Nebraska attract a significant number of big fish to the Big 10 Conference. Merritt also turns into a crucial regional recruiting victory for the ‘Huskers.