Breon Dixon came to Lincoln and he isn't leaving.
The transfer from Ole Miss confirmed his commitment to Nebraska on Sunday via Twitter in an expected move. After all, Dixon’s been listed in the Nebraska student directory since Friday. He’s expected to just stay in town after the conclusion of his visit and begin classes as a midyear transfer this week.
It’s all love ❤️ & I️m officially All N !#Huskers #GBR pic.twitter.com/U1xpozNAzg
— Breon Dixon (@Breondixon_4) January 14, 2018
A four-star linebacker from Grayson, Georgia — he played at the same high school as NU linebacker Mohamed Barry — Dixon played in six games as a true freshman for the Rebels in 2017.
In that span, Dixon was credited with five tackles and a quarterback hurry (against Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 9).
He’s listed as a 6-foot, 206-pound defensive back on Ole Miss’ website. It seems unlikely he’ll be pigeonholed to a particular spot here. In Erik Chinander’s defense, it is possible to see Dixon playing on essentially any level of the defense, from safety to linebacker to situational pass-rusher.
Thanks to a standout career at Grayson High – northeast of Atlanta – Dixon drew interest in schools from across the SEC. Outside the conference, he took official visits to TCU and Louisville before settling on the Rebels and enrolling in Jan. 2017.
In July, though, head coach Hugh Freeze resigned and then in December the NCAA levied additional penalties against the school, including a postseason ban in 2018. Ole Miss granted permission for many players to seek transfers and Dixon took advantage.
It’s also unclear exactly what Dixon’s playing status would be for the coming season. Ole Miss seniors-to-be are allowed to transfer without penalty, but underclassmen by default are still subject to normal NCAA transfer rules. However, quarterback Shea Patterson transferred from Ole Miss to Michigan and is appealing for immediate eligibility. If he wins, that might clear the path for players like Dixon to also play right away.
In the meantime, though, Dixon is the 14th signee of NU's 2018 class and second mid-year transfer to commit in recent days, joining East Mississippi Community College wide receiver Mike Williams.
He is also the second versatile player with experience playing in the secondary to commit to NU since Frost was hired, joining Jones County (Mississippi) Junior College transfer Deontai Williams.
It’s very likely that Dixon is only the first domino to fall after a busy recruiting weekend for the Huskers. Frost and company appear to be prioritizing getting their top targets on campus as soon as possible after the dead period rather than waiting until closer to the Feb. 7 signing day and getting the last shot at prospects they’re after.
This story will be updated.
