Dasan McCullough

Dasan McCullough, who has three brothers, grew up with his parents (Deland and Darnell). His father played running back at Miami (Ohio) from 1992-95, followed by two years in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals (1996) and Philadelphia Eagles (1997), two in the CFL (1998-99) and two in the XFL (2000-01). Following his playing days, Deland became a running backs coach at several different spots across college football and the NFL (Indiana, Notre Dame and the Kansas City Chiefs, among others), and he currently holds that position at Oklahoma. Dasan’s grandfather (Sherman Smith) also played at Miami (Ohio), as a quarterback (1972-75). As the son of a coach, Dasan McCullough naturally gravitated toward football as a kid while growing up in Cincinnati. When his father joined the Chiefs’ staff, the family relocated to Kansas City, Kan., where McCullough attended Blue Valley North High School for three years. The family then relocated to Indiana in 2021, and McCullough transferred to Bloomington South High School for his senior season. He posted 60 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two interceptions as a hybrid linebacker. A four-star recruit, McCullough was courted by Alabama, Clemson and other programs before committing to Ohio State prior to his junior year. However, he flipped to Indiana in April 2021, as his father was working on the Hoosiers’ coaching staff. His older brother (Deland II) also landed at Indiana as a defensive back after two years at Miami (Ohio). Following one season in Bloomington, Dasan McCullough transferred to Oklahoma for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Prior to his senior year, he transferred to Nebraska for the 2025 season. Having played a Jack linebacker role, McCullough has a long, athletic frame that is more slender than bulky — he lacks ideal mass on his body. He flashed his pass-rush potential as a freshman (20 pressures, four sacks) but combined for just 25 pressures and two sacks over his final three years in college. He is