Missouri Southern State University Athletics

Career Honors:
MSSU Freshman, Single-Season, Career Record for Passes Attempted Without Interception (138 to begin 2021)
9th in Single-Season Passing Yards (2,260 in 11 games, 2021)
3rd in Single-Season Freshman Passing Yards in MSSU History (2,260 in 11 games, 2021)
3rd in Single-Season Freshman Passing Completions in MSSU History (177)
2x MIAA Academic Honor Roll (2021, 2020)
MIAA first-year or transfer Academic Honor Roll (2019-20)

2021 - Herl earned the starting job for the Lions and went on to have one of the better freshman seasons in school history under center... Started all 11 games where he finished the season going 177-of-324 with 2,260 yards tossing 16 touchdowns while adding 57 rushes for 86 yards on the ground... Against Fort Hays State (Sep. 25) at home accounted for his highest completion percentage of the season going 24-of-31 (77.4%) with 232 yards with a touchdown... On the road against Emporia State (Oct. 23) finished with a season-high 308 passing yards going 21-of-37 with two touchdowns... In the 52-32 road win over Lincoln (Oct. 9) finished going 12-of-20 with 246 passing yards and three touchdowns while also adding 41 yards on the ground on four attempts... At home against Missouri Western (Oct. 30) finished with 307 passing yards while tossing three touchdowns and added 28 yards on the ground from four attempts... Finished the season on the road against #24 Washburn (Nov. 13) going 26-of-40 with 283 yards and threw three touchdowns... Had three games with three touchdowns thrown, three games completing 20 or more passes and went over 200 passing yards in six games.

2020 - Did not lose a year of eligibility during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic

2019 - Redshirted... One of 16 Lions to be named on the first-year or transfer MIAA Academic Honor Roll. 

Prior to Southern - Herl was a four-year letter winner at William Chrisman High School where he played for coach Matt Perry ... Also a four-year letter winner on the basketball court and one-year letter winner on the baseball diamond, Herl was an All-Conference selection his junior and senior years where he went 175-of-341 for 2,290 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for 156 yards on the ground with six scores ... He was also an All-Conference, All-District and All-Area selection in basketball ... Herl helped his football team set the school record for most wins over a four-year span, as well as a being Conference Champions in 2016.

Personal - Dawson is the son of Dale and Becky Herl, younger brother Dayne is going to be a true freshman in the 2022 season. Herl plans to major in business at Southern.