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Honors & Awards
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Spring 2025)
Before Nebraska (Blue Valley HS)
Dawson Merritt was one of the nation’s top defensive recruits while starring at linebacker for Blue Valley High School in Kansas. He was a three-year starter for the Tigers, helping his team to three consecutive trips to the state tournament, including a semifinal appearance as a junior.
Merritt totaled 141 tackles in his junior and senior seasons combined with 14 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. He added four pass breakups, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. A first-team all-state selection as a senior in 2024, Merritt had 58 tackles, 11 TFLs and seven sacks with four pass breakups and four forced fumbles. He recorded 83 tackles as a junior with 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In his junior season, Merritt was a first-team all-state selection and was a finalist for Kansas 6A Defensive Player of the Year.
A unanimous four-star recruit, Merritt was ranked among the nation’s top 105 players by both 247 and ESPN. He was also ranked as the third-best prospect in Kansas by ESPN.
Personal
Dawson is the son of David and Yolonda Merritt. Dawson is a management major.
Dawson's father, Dave, is the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is in his seventh season with the Chiefs in 2025 and his 25th season coaching in the NFL. He was an All-ACC linebacker at North Carolina State and played in 38 games in the NFL.