Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-21vs Ohio | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 56-7vs Bowling Green | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 34-7vs North Dakota | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 |
#40
Dawson Merritt
Sophomore linebacker for Nebraska. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 225 lb · Stilwell, KS · Blue Valley
The numbers
6
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs North Dakota
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore linebacker for Nebraska. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Nebraska in 2025.
Dawson Merritt
He has spent two seasons in the Nebraska linebacker corps. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Ohio, Week 1, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20254 games
- Signed with Nebraska4-star out of Blue Valley
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Nebraska
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Dawson Merritt's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 34–7
vs North Dakota
1 sacks · 1 tackles for loss · 1 tackles
Dominant 27-point win at home against North Dakota.
With A. Colandrea — 195 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.6 · 19 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · J. Rule — 119 rush yds (15 car) · 2 TD
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +1 tackle, +1 tackle for loss, +1 sack.
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Matt Rhule, all run-leaning offenses — 10-6 over that span.
2025Nebraska7-6HC: Matt Rhule · Run-leaning
2026Nebraska3-0HC: Matt Rhule · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (84th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (80th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Rhule
Pass share
42.7%
90 pass / 121 run
Plays / game
70.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.2%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
The linebacker corps · Nebraska
- #33Owen Chambliss90 tackles · 2025
- #9Vincent Shavers Jr.61 tackles · 2025
- #24Dexter Foster52 tackles · 2025
- #45Dylan Rogers11 tackles · 2025
- #40Dawson Merritt8 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Nebraska team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology