Nebraska May Need to Rethink 2027 Running Back Approach

Nebraska football currently boasts the nation's No. 7 recruiting class for 2027, but a recent development risks the Huskers losing a blue-chip recruit.

There's no need for NU's staff to panic just yet, but the 26th-best running back in the country has scheduled a visit to an SEC school. After committing to the Big Red back in November, Amir Brown has visited Lincoln several times, but that doesn't mean he isn't exploring other options as well.

The North Carolina native, who originally committed to the Tar Heels in August of last year, has shown a history of flipping his commitment after just a few months, and it could be déjà vu for Brown unless the Huskers can seal the deal. With that in mind, here's a rundown of other running backs on Nebraska's 2027 recruiting board, and how the plan might change at the position group over the coming months.

Xavier Bala is a consensus three-star recruit with whom the Huskers staff has had an existing relationship well before that of Brown. Originally earning a scholarship offer in June of 2025, the New York native is a dynamic prospect that offers a welcome blend of size and speed.

Officially listed at 6-foot, 215-pounds, Bala is considered the 32nd-best prospect at the position group in his class and has drawn scholarship offers from 17 Division I schools to date, including the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, and more. His stock will presumably only continue to rise as the will-be senior in high school finishes out his prep career, but as it currently stands, Nebraska is still a school well within the mix for his talents in 2027.

He's no stranger to campus as well, as the versatile back has been to Lincoln once already, and the Huskers staff is looking to get him back again this upcoming fall. Bala is described as a player who "Projects at this stage as a future multi-year contributor at the Power Four level," per Andrew Ivins, Director of Scouting for 247 Sports, and is currently favored to eventually commit to the Big Red by a noticeable margin over other programs.

Kylonn Haynie is yet another consensus three-star prospect within the class, though the in-state recruit offers reason for optimism in his own unique way. After transferring to Millard North (NE) ahead of the 2026 school year, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder is a 2027 recruit that is beginning to earn a lot of regional attention over the past couple of months.

Though the Huskers, in a similar manner to that of Bala, are currently favored by a wide margin to land Haynie, they'll have to beat out the likes of Iowa State, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and more for his eventual commitment. NU was the first Division I school to offer the Nebraska native, and he's currently listed as the No. 44 player at his position (No. 5 prospect in Nebraska) in the class.

Still, the Big Red will have to ramp up its recruiting efforts to show Haynie that he's a priority target to land him. With the will-be senior transferring schools, his outlook for the 2026 season is a bit of a mystery, though he appears to be a featured back within the Mustangs offense and one that will see the best numbers of his career directly before he transitions to the collegiate level. For the Huskers, a player of Haynie's caliber, that's right in their metaphorical back yard, would be a big recruiting win within the 2027 class.

Last, but definitely not least, is Isaiah Rogers of Springfield Central (MA). The consensus four-star recruit is the most high-profile of Nebraska's current options and is regarded as the No. 7 player at the position in the country before the start of his senior year. To date, he's gathered 21 Division I scholarships, and the Big Red will be in contention with schools like Penn State, Syracuse, Georgia, Notre Dame, and more for his eventual signature in December of this year.

As it currently stands, the Nittany Lions (PA) and the Orange (NY) are leading the pack, but Nebraska isn't far behind. Despite being well over 1,000 miles away from Rogers' hometown, the blue-chip prospect has visited campus twice to date. The first came during the 2025 spring game, and the second was during the fall to see Nebraska take on a non-conference foe.

The Huskers have managed to keep themselves well within contention for his talents at this point, and a potential change of plans at their running back board could see this staff quickly shift their priorities to the high-caliber recruit. Originally, it does appear that NU was envisioning a duo of four-stars to sign to its class, but if Nebraska were to lose Brown, they would likely go after Rogers with everything they've got. For now, they're on the outside looking in, but if they're able to secure an official visit over the summer, NU would seemingly have as good a shot as any to land the talented running back prospect in the 2027 class.

Nebraska RB commit Amir Brown is setting up an Alabama visit after @BAMACoachG offered last week

5-foot-10, 200-pounder tallied 1,374 yards & 26 TDs with @RamsFootballNC last fall

“Have been on my mind every day & every night … I think about ‘Bama”

🔗 https://t.co/9IX2eSiUIl pic.twitter.com/yJv8E12YfP
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) February 19, 2026

Again, Brown is still a part of Nebraska's 2027 class until he officially decommits, and while he could just be simply taking a free visit to Tuscaloosa while enjoying the recruiting process, the Huskers will need to begin to develop a contingency plan in the event things take a turn for the worse.

They've allowed themselves the luxury of drawing the eyes of several top-tier options, and while they likely once viewed them as complementary pieces, prospects like Bala, Haynie, and Rogers may quickly need to be re-pitched as the Huskers priority piece. There are plenty of other options that remain uncommitted as well, and it wouldn't be the first time NU was forced to course correct later than originally planned, so there's little reason to worry just yet. Regardless, they will inarguably have to capitalize on moving quickly if they want to come out of this unscathed.

The path to retaining Brown's commitment is still there as well. It may just be one in which the Huskers are forced to strengthen their revenue-sharing deal to secure the recruit. Regardless, it is clear that Brown has a vested interest in what Nebraska has to offer, and his current status suggests Lincoln is still his No. 1 choice to call home collegiately. Until a decommitment is made official, the trio of 2027 prospects will look to join EJ Barthel's running back haul as the second member of the room, but don't be surprised if that status changes later in the year.

Recruiting is more fluid than it has ever been, and Brown's decision to take a visit to another school is a shining example of that. NU has been reminded time and time again that nothing is a done deal until it is officially signed, so don't think they didn't assume this was a possibility from the very start. The 2027 class came firing out of the gate, and Brown's commitment is a big reason for suggesting that, but even if he is not included come signing day in December of this year, the Huskers have several months to find a replacement or two who are more willing to want to be a part of the program Matt Rhule is building heading into the future. Expect more to come on this topic, but until then, Nebraska still has a four-star recruit committed to join the program's running back room next year.