Nebraska Football Adds Transfer Running Back Tikey Hayes Ahead of Fall Camp

Hayes comes to Lincoln with four years of eligibility remaining after stints at Penn State and Iowa Western.

Tikey Hayes (23) leaps over a defender during the third quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A late addition to Nebraska's running back room has arrived.

Following uncertainty surrounding current Husker running back Mekhi Nelson, who was expected to compete for the Big Red's RB1 role this fall, NU has added former Penn State and Iowa Western Community College running back Tikey Hayes to its roster.

Hayes appeared in one game during his lone season with the Nittany Lions, carrying the ball three times for 18 yards. He now provides much-needed depth to what has become arguably Nebraska's biggest question mark of a position group entering the 2026 season.

Here's the latest on the Huskers' newest addition, who arrives just 53 days before Nebraska opens the season against Ohio on Sept. 5.

Hayes' Prep Recruiting Profile

Hayes starred at Aliquippa High School (PA), the same program that produced longtime NFL cornerback Darrelle Revis, before signing with Penn State as part of its 2025 recruiting class.

During his recruitment, Hayes picked up offers from 14 Division I programs, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee. In the end, he chose to stay home and play for the Nittany Lions, signing as a composite three-star prospect.

He saw his stock rise quickly after totaling 2,239 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns on 230 carries during his junior year. He followed it up with 1,022 yards and 17 touchdowns on 97 carries as a senior.

Penn State running back Tikey Hayes (23) carries the ball during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Collegiate Career to Date

Hayes saw action in just one game during his lone season at Penn State, appearing in the Nittany Lions' Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson. The true freshman carried the ball three times for 18 yards.

Following the season, Hayes transferred to Iowa Western Community College, where he was expected to compete for the Reivers' starting running back job this fall. Instead, Hayes now heads to Nebraska, where he'll likely compete for the same role.

Mekhi Nelson is hoisted by tight end Carter Nelson after scoring a touchdown against the Akron Zips. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mekhi Nelson's Situation

There's been no public update regarding Nebraska running back Mekhi Nelson following his June 29 arrest in Florida on a battery charge. Nelson's arraignment was scheduled for July 9, but no additional information has been released since.

Before the incident, Nelson was widely viewed as the leading candidate to replace Emmett Johnson in NU's backfield. With his status still uncertain, running back has become one of the Huskers' biggest question marks entering 2026.

Hayes doesn't arrive with a ton of proven collegiate production, but he does provide additional depth. How quickly he and the rest of the Huskers ball carriers develop will likely become one of the biggest storylines of fall camp.

Nebraska's Isaiah Mozee carries the ball against Northwestern in 2025 as tight end Luke Lindenmeyer provides interference. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Running Back Room Outlook

Expect Hayes to join a heated battle for the starting running back role entering the fall. Apart from Nelson, rising sophomore Isiah Mozee, rising junior Kwinten Ives, and incoming true freshman Jamal Rule were expected to factor in.

Ives' leads the room in experience at the collegiate level. To this point in his career, he's totaled 183 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound back from New Jersey has seen the field in a total of 21 games for the Big Red.

Mozee played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2025. He rushed 26 times for 115 yards, caught 14 passes for 155 yards, returned two punts for 43 yards and three kickoffs for 70 yards. Despite committing to Nebraska as a wide receiver, he transitioned well into a running back role last fall.

Rule impressed during the spring, ending the offseason practice period totaling 119 yards on 10 carriers in the 2026 Red-White Scrimmage. He scored a touchdown, which went 75 yards down the sideline, during the contest as well. It was the longest play from scrimmage on the day.

What Hayes' Addition Means

Hayes is listed at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds on Penn State's 2025 roster, giving NU another option with a capable frame.

Across four varsity seasons, Hayes totaled nearly 7,000 all-purpose yards and 99 touchdowns, which is impressive, to say the least. Translating that success to the Big Ten will be a much different challenge, but it's easy to see why the Huskers were interested.

Time will tell how Hayes' addition works out, but on paper, the move makes sense for both sides. NU adds depth to its running back room, while Hayes was given another opportunity to prove himself at the Power Four level. Playing time is there. Now, it's up to the Pennsylvania native to make the most of it in a short amount of time.

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