Kalen DeBoer's Alabama predicted to lose four-star EDGE commit to Nebraska following Caleb Cunningham's flip: Report

Four-star edge rusher Dawson Merritt committed to Alabama in June, but he has also kept flirting with Nebraska. He was in Lincoln for the Huskers' 28-10 win over Colorado on Sept. 7, and the school is now the frontrunner to land his commitment, per On3's Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives the Huskers a 71.5% chance to secure his commitment. Besides that, three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions from Tom Loy, Matt Zenitz and Husker247 analyst Mike Schaefer also favor Nebraska.

Merritt was one of the many primary targets of Matt Rhule's Nebraska during the summer, and the coaching staff visited him last month.

During his last visit, Merritt bonded with some of the Huskers recruits.

“Me and Dayton Raiola are pretty close,“ Merritt told HuskerMax. “Mike Terry, and some other guys as well.”

Merritt also has a strong bond with the Nebraska coaching staff, including Rhule, linebacker coach Rob Dvoracek and defensive back coach Evan Cooper.

"I’ve really built super strong relationships with, but the thing that stands out is I talk to a lot of coaches from there," Merritt told SI.

One lighthearted interaction even involved Nebraska Cornhuskers legend Prince Amukamara, who encouraged Merritt to consider Nebraska, posting, “Red looks better on you than crimson!”

Merritt responded with a surprised emoji, which only fueled speculation about his interest in Nebraska.

Nebraska's 2025 class is No. 24 in the nation with 19 committed players, including five four-star pledges and 14 three-star commitments. The cycle has a pair of linebacker commitments but doesn’t have any edge rushers. Thus, Merritt would be a big recruit.

With less than a month away from the early signing day, Alabama may lose Merritt. This would follow the Crimson Tide losing five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham to Ole Miss on Wednesday.

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Alabama's 2025 class update following Dawson Merritt's potential decommitment

Alabama holds the top spot for the 2025 recruiting class in the Southeastern Conference with 22 commitments. This ranking persisted even after Caleb Cunningham decommitted on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Dawson Merritt is one of six linebacker commitments and is one of 13 four-stars in Alabama's class. He is also one of three edge rushers expected to fill WOLF positions. His potential flip to Nebraska will be another big blow to Alabama, and its lead in the SEC recruiting race could be at risk.

The cycle has already witnessed multiple decommitments, including wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, linebacker Jaedon Harmon, athlete Derick Smith, defensive lineman Antonio Coleman, punter Luke Ryerse, athlete Zymear Smith, linebacker Myles Johnson, interior offensive lineman Dontrell Glover, edge rusher Zion Grady, interior offensive lineman Mason Short and edge rusher Javion Hilson.