On National Signing Day, Nebraska beat out Will Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats for the services of four-star defensive lineman Dylan Berrymon. How does the prospect fit into Nebraska’s roster?
A Finished Product?
The Huskers opted to address the defensive line position through the transfer portal. This was mostly a success. Owen Stoudmire joined the program after several seasons at Boston College. Plus, Jahsear Whittington and Anthony Jones bring some production from their previous schools. But besides those additions, Brown will have to start from scratch. Nebraska lost Jaylen George to Tulsa and Keona Davis to the Miami Hurricanes. This leaves the Cornhuskers in a tough position under Brown. However, there is hope for the future. The freshman duo of Kade Pietrzak and Williams Nwaneri showed off their potential as Blackshirts. When he gets to Lincoln, Berrymon has the opportunity to follow the same trajectory as those two players. Coming out of high school, the Louisiana native stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 330 pounds. This puts him in a position to contribute immediately in 2026. He just has to slim down a little bit under the strength coach Corey Cooper.
High Profile Target
Matt Rhule’s team ends February with a high-profile win on the recruiting trail. According to 247Sports, Berrymon is the 26th-best defensive lineman in the entire 2026 cycle and is the eighth-best player in the state of Louisiana. This allowed him to secure offers from schools such as Ole Miss, Oregon, and Miami. But it wasn’t enough for those schools to land him. Instead, Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns secured his commitment last summer. This would’ve stuck, but Kenny Baker has multiple upperclassmen ready to contribute and a bevy of talented freshmen. Kentucky was the team to beat, but Berrymon ultimately chose the Cornhuskers. According to 247Sports, Berrymon likes that he can “see where he can be put in on the defensive front”.
BREAKING: Nebraska lands a commitment and signature from 4-star DL Dylan Berymon, the top unsigned prospect in America 🌽
“I feel like they’re gonna turn Nebraska up another notch. They’re gonna turn this program around.”
Read: https://t.co/rN5UWRg9jm pic.twitter.com/IMZKGyBzD9
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) February 4, 2026
Makes Up For Recruiting Misses
Andy Burburija was all set to join Nebraska’s roster. The former FCS All-American would’ve been a great pickup. This past fall, at Iowa Western, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman totaled 78 tackles and 14 sacks last season. Unfortunately, the Blackshirts were forced to pivot because of his flip to Clemson. This allows Berrymon to take his role in the middle of Brown’s defensive line. He excelled as a run-stopper in high school and got to opposing quarterbacks often. In his senior season at Ouachita Parish, he recorded 49 tackles and four sacks. It will be interesting to see if he has that same impact on Nebraska’s roster. Cameron Lenhardt will return for his senior season in Lincoln, and Willis McGahee IV will get his shot as an edge rusher in the spring.
Headliner Status
According to 247Sports, Nebraska’s 2026 recruiting class is ranked 84th in the nation. This means that the Cornhuskers have the worst class this year in the Big Ten. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Rhule and company. However, there is some good news. With Berrymon’s pledge to the Cornhuskers, the 330-pound defensive lineman is now the cherry on top of the Huskers 2026 recruiting class. He’ll be alongside five-star cornerback commit Danny Odem, and four-star offensive lineman Claude Mpouma. Nebraska’s recruiting class may not be much to brag about this year, but these three additions should give the program’s fans much-needed optimism heading into the offseason.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
