Nebraska Football’s 2027 Commits: Running Back Amir Brown

The North Carolina native had a number of high-profile suitors after his decommitment from the Tar Heels.

Amir Brown mingles with members of the Nebraska football staff at the 2026 spring game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

It might be time to give E.J. Barthel his flowers.

Nebraska's running backs coach developed Emmett Johnson from an unheralded recruit and part-time contributor into the Big Ten Running Back of the Year and an All-American. It's taken some time for Barthel to find his footing as a recruiter on this staff, but he appears to have hit his stride.

First and foremost, Barthel is the coach who got the ball rolling with quarterback Trae Taylor, forging the initial relationship that led to getting him on campus for the first time to watch Nebraska take on Rutgers in October 2024.

Inside his own room, Barthel also raised a few eyebrows among casual recruiting fans after bypassing a number of four-star running backs and instead signing three-star Jamal Rule in the 2026 class. That decision already appears to be paying off, as Rule drew praise from coaches this spring and positioned himself for meaningful playing time this fall.

Nebraska commit Amir Brown with running backs coach E.J. Barthel | @TheAmirBrown/X

Barthel followed that up by landing arguably the top running back target on his board for the 2027 cycle in Raleigh (N.C.) Rolesville standout Amir Brown. Having that spot locked down since Thanksgiving has allowed Barthel to turn his attention toward 2028, where he's already hosted several priority targets as he continues shaping his board.

Brown initially committed to Bill Belichick and the in-state North Carolina Tar Heels in early August 2025 over finalists Notre Dame and Texas. The four-star prospect, who collected more than 40 offers, also gave serious consideration to Oregon, Tennessee, Ohio State, Clemson and UCLA during his recruitment.

Brown maintained contact with several schools, however, and Barthel made sure Nebraska was one of them. The two had been in contact for several months, but when it became apparent Brown was open to looking around, Barthel reached out on Aug. 26 to gauge how seriously he was considering other schools. When Brown confirmed he was willing to listen, Barthel turned up the heat. He traveled to Rolesville on Sept. 25 for an in-home visit and extended a Nebraska offer after a productive meeting that firmly put the Huskers on Brown's radar.

Brown decommitted from North Carolina on Oct. 15 and reopened his recruitment. Notre Dame, the runner-up when he initially committed, quickly emerged as the favorite. Brown wasted little time scheduling a visit to South Bend, where he watched the Fighting Irish defeat USC on Oct. 18.

Nebraska commit Amir Brown (left) chats with Emmett Johnson at the 2026 spring game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

A week later, Brown traveled to Lincoln to watch Nebraska defeat Northwestern on Oct. 25, where he spent significant time with Barthel and quickly built strong relationships with several fellow 2027 recruits like Trae Taylor and Tay Ellis, along with members of Nebraska's 2026 class, including Jamal Rule, a fellow North Carolinian.

Even though Brown, who was accompanied by his father, didn't arrive at Memorial Stadium until after halftime, the visit left such an impression that he canceled a planned trip to Texas. Instead, he returned to Lincoln the following weekend for Nebraska's Blackout game against USC. By then, Brown was already publicly referring to Nebraska as his leader. This time, Brown and his mother arrived well before kickoff, allowing them to spend even more time with the coaching staff while taking in the pregame atmosphere that continues to resonate with visitors.

Nebraska ultimately secured Brown's commitment on Nov. 23, 2025.

His recruitment wasn't over, though.

Notre Dame and Vanderbilt continued recruiting him, and Alabama entered the picture in early February with an offer and a strong push to flip his commitment. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound back briefly considered taking a visit to Tuscaloosa, but after returning to Lincoln for an extended stay during Nebraska's spring game weekend, he chose to fully shut down his recruitment.

Brown, who is ranked as the No. 201 overall player in the 2027 class by ESPN, has the talent to make an immediate impact when he arrives in Lincoln ahead of the 2027 season.

He will join a room that gained an unexpected addition this week. With Mekhi Nelson's immediate status still uncertain, Nebraska moved to bolster its corps of ball carriers by adding former Penn State running back Tikey Hayes to the roster on July 14. Nelson was arrested June 29 in Key West, Florida, on an aggravated battery charge stemming from an alleged incident involving his pregnant girlfriend. Although the charge has since been dropped, internal discipline remains a possibility. Nelson was suspended for two games last season for undisclosed reasons, and Nebraska has not commented on his current status or availability. The program may not address the situation until Big Ten Media Days later this month.

Hayes, a Rivals four-star prospect in the 2025 class, transferred from Penn State to Iowa Western Community College in January and had been expected to serve as the Reivers' starting running back this fall. With the new 5-for-5 eligibility model, Hayes will have four seasons of eligibility remaining.

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