The Huskers have added a highly productive linebacker from a rival program of yesteryear.
Dasan McCullough announced his commitment on social media to the Huskers on Sunday afternoon, giving Nebraska a veteran addition for a position group where it was needed due to graduation and portal hits.
This portal take for Nebraska, however, could be greater than any hit suffered.
McCullough was slowed by a toe injury in 2024 that slowed him for a while. He appeared in seven games totaling 17 tackles, which included 2 1/2 tackles for loss. He performed at a high level against top competition, notching five tackles against both Ole Miss and Alabama.
That upside was also exhibited in 2023 after McCullough joined Oklahoma out of the portal, having started his career at Indiana.
He played what OU labeled the «Cheetah» position and during the ’23 campaign the 6-5, 235-pound McCullough had 30 tackles, including 3 1/2 TFLs, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
Collin Kennedy of 247Sports noted that McCullough finished the year as Oklahoma’s second-highest graded defender among regular rotational players according to Pro Football Focus, with an overall grade of 79.5 and an 88.2 coverage grade while limiting opponents to a 56.3% completion rate when targeted.
Wrote Kennedy, «His signature performance came against Texas where he finished with five tackles and one for loss, playing a crucial role in the Sooners’ goal-line stand at the start of the fourth quarter. McCullough was credited with back-to-back tackles on second and third down from the one-yard line. He then helped Billy Bowman on fourth down keep Xavier Worthy out of the end zone for a turnover on downs.»
Football is in the family.
He is the son of Deland McCullough, who is the associate head coach and leads the running backs at Notre Dame. McCullough’s coaching background took him and the family through Kansas City while he was the running backs coach of the Chiefs from 2018-20. So no question the family knows of Husker staffers like incoming D-line coach Terry Bradden, still coaching with the Chiefs to finish the season,and Jamar Mozee, whose name recognition in the KC area has proven vitally important for Nebraska in this cycle.
Husker linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek has also done well inserting himself into Kansas City and St. Louis areas while on staff.
Dvoracek is losing seniors like John Bullock and Javin Wright, who will play their final game as Huskers in the Pinstripe Bowl. Others like Mikai Gbayor and Stefon Thompson left the program for the portal.
The new addition McCullough has 913 snaps to his name during his college career, having played 477 at Indiana in 2022, when he had four sacks and earned some all-freshman honors. He had 276 snaps at OU in 2023 and 160 this past year after working through the injury. The senior-to-be started 12 games over the course of two years with the Sooners.
It’s the tape from some big moments at OU that will have Husker fans hopeful of what can be in Lincoln.