Who Will Lead Nebraska in Rushing Yards in 2026? Three Huskers Who Could Replace Emmett Johnson

Filling the shoes of an All-American is no easy task, but any of these three could become Nebraska's next star running back.

Emmett Johnson carries the ball against Northwestern during the Huskers' 28-21 win last season. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

One of Nebraska's biggest challenges this season is replacing Emmett Johnson. The junior running back was the star of the offense last season with 251 carries, 1,451 yards, and 12 touchdowns — plus 46 receptions for 370 yards and three TDs.

However, the Huskers do have running backs on the roster who could be suitable replacements for Johnson, who's now playing for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. Here are the top three likely candidates for becoming Nebraska's top ground gainer in 2026.

3. Kwinten Ives

Nebraska enters 2026 with an inexperienced RB room and an open path for many RBs. The most experienced one in the room is junior Kwinten Ives, a former three-star recruit.

Ives had a rough start to his career with six carries for only seven yards in 2024. In 2025, though, he did better in limited action. In three games (missed time due to injury), Ives had 20 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns and three receptions for 43 yards.

Ives even led the Huskers in rushing with 85 yards against Houston Christian last season. That was thanks in part to Johnson's early exit from the game, but those numbers aren't bad. Ives had the fewest carries last year among the trio of Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee, and himself, but he did average the most yards per carry, at 6.7, in limited action.

Kwinten Ives | Nebraska Athletics

The RB room is a big question mark because of the lack of experience and the fact that we've had so few opportunities to see what someone like Ives can do. But the big, physical back (6'3", 215 lbs) with speed does seem capable of competing for the starting job.

Will a breakout candidate emerge in 2026? Johnson dominant performance in 2025 was something few saw coming, yet he simply carried Nebraska on his back at times.

This year, Ives is one player in the room who could be the leading rusher and a potential breakout star. E.J. Barthel, the running backs coach, has described him as the top pass protector in the group, and that's something that will never hurt your chances for playing time.

Does that mean he will get more carries than others? Not necessarily, but Nebraska is likely to use Ives in a lot more ways than pass blocking.

2. Isaiah Mozee

Isaiah Mozee wasn't even supposed to be a running back in 2025. The Huskers' lack of depth at the position led them to switch him from wide receiver to halfback. Mozee was a four-star high school prospect out of Missouri and was among Nebraska's higher-rated recruits in the 2025 class.

Interestingly, the Huskers' ample depth at wideout has led to multiple position changes over the last couple of years. Most recently, Jeremiah Jones switched to the edge position on defense.

Mozee's transition in 2025 didn't result in jaw-dropping rushing numbers: 26 carries for 115 yards, zero TDs, and 4.4 yards per carry. Not surprisingly, he was much more effective in the passing game with 14 receptions for 155 yards.

Those somewhat meager rushing numbers don't mean Mozee can't be the next great RB for Nebraska, though. Kevin Sjuts, sports director of 10/11 News, noted how Mozee looks in fall camp:

Isaiah Mozee played in all 13 games for the #Huskers as a freshman last season. The Kansas City native is contending for Nebraska's starting RB job. Looks smooth during Fall Camp.@1011_News pic.twitter.com/ikkXElcxlE

— Kevin Sjuts (@kevinsjuts) August 11, 2026

Simply put, Mozee was a true freshman transitioning from wideout in 2025. Now, he enters 2026 as a sophomore with a full offseason to adjust, adding strength, size, and physicality. And the fact that he can be a threat in the receiving game like Johnson is another reason to believe a Mozee breakout is possible.

Now, Mozee doesn't have much experience, partly because Johnson emerged and took most of the carries, but Nebraska has never had a chance to see the best version of Mozee. Mozee remains one of the best options for the starting job with his potential and the threat he poses in the passing game. Whether one offseason completely changes Mozee is a big question.

1. Mekhi Nelson

The player coming into 2026 with the most carries is Nelson. Nelson had just one more than Mozee, but he did rush for a good 147 yards on 27 carries (5.4 YPC), adding two touchdowns. Nelson also caught eight passes for 108 yards, which shows his capability in the passing game as well.

Nelson was the starter in last season's Las Vegas Bowl game against Utah. Even though the Huskers lost 44-22, Nelson finished with 88 yards on 12 carries and 48 yards on three receptions. That adds up to 136 all-purpose yards and a touchdown against an elite Utah defense.

Steven Sipple on 93.7 The Ticket has said Nelson is the probable starter: "I think Mekhi (Nelson) will start the season and will have to hold off (Jamal) Rule. And Mozee will be very prominent in the discussion from the start." Sipple later mentioned Ives and new transfer Tikey Hayes, but he seemed more impressed by Nelson, Mozee, and Rule. A true freshman, Rule is the youngest in the room but may be making moves anyway.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef hands off to running back Mekhi Nelson for a 1-yard touchdown against Akron. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Sipple had more to say about the room: "I like ... the running back room. I like it. I've seen enough of Mekhi Nelson and Mozee to know they can be pretty good. Keep in mind, they're going to be better... because they're getting older and bigger and stronger, and Rule's real." This is comforting given what the current room has on its plate. And the RB room is probably the second-biggest question this team faces.

There are a lot of different running backs the Huskers could see break out in 2026, but Nelson tops the list right now.

The Husker offense rolls into 2026 with a new QB, a deep WR corps, a solid tight end room, a promising offensive line, and, finally, a rather mysterious RB room. Last year, Johnson was a workhorse for the Huskers and made life pretty easy when it came to running the ball effectively.

There are other backs who could compete with the trio of Mozee, Ives, and Nelson to fill Johnson's shoes in 2026. Rule and Hayes are two more names to watch even though they have little or no collegiate game experience.

Replacing your best player is never easy, but it isn't impossible, either. This year, the running back room will face a lot of adversity given its youth and inexperience, but any of these ball carriers could come up big for the Huskers in 2026.

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