Assessing top-ranked four-star Nebraska linebacker commit’s senior season

Nebraska picked up an important commitment in four-star linebacker Dawson Merritt on Thursday, rounding out a linebacker room that is arguably the strongest position group in the 2025 class. The headliner of the room remains in-state four-star Christian Jones, the top-ranked prospect in the state out of Omaha (Neb.) Westside.

As Jones looks to lead his Westside team to a third-straight state championship, here’s an updated look at his senior film.

Standing 6-foot-3 and close to 220 pounds, if not more, at this point, Jones possesses a Big Ten-ready frame and won’t need much time to transform his body when he enrolls at Nebraska. He’s an athletic phenom, with several sub 11.1 100-meter dash times to his name, impressive top-end speed for his size, and has even cleared sub-11 in the past. He pairs that with verified strength, with multiple 50-foot shot put reps to his name, finishing seventh in the Class A shot put finals last spring. In years past, schools and evaluators were intrigued by his athletic testing, but that athleticism didn’t always translate on the field. As a senior, he’s paired his athleticism with his instincts, and though he has more on his plate than in years past, he’s playing his best football to date. As a junior, playing both sides of the ball, he racked up 55 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one interception, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, along with 20 catches for 500 yards and nine touchdowns offensively. Thus far as a senior, he’s recorded 78 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and five forced fumbles.

Let’s dive into the film.