Leading up to Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago, Huskers Illustrated is examining each position group for Nebraska. Position groups: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Linebacker, Defensive Back, Specialists.

Today: Running Back

How do you replace the top running back in the Big Ten Conference and your first first-team All-American at the position since Mike Rozier in 1982? You trust what you’ve recruited and developed.

Kwinten Ives seemed like he’d become a solid No. 2 before dealing with injuries last year. Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee both bring different skill sets to the position, with Nelson probably holding the edge. A dark horse is true freshman Jamal Rule, who appears to have all the tools to step in as the lead-back right away.

Johnson was not expected to explode the way he did in 2025. 

After carrying the ball 207 times for 1,009 yards in his first three seasons in Lincoln, he topped that with 251 rushes for 1,451 yards last season. He had three career rushing touchdowns and finished his time as a Husker with 15.

In the receiving game, Johnson went to a new level. His 46 receptions in the previous two seasons were matched in just 12 games in 2025.

Johnson earned all of the accolades. But he didn’t have anyone who could step in and spell him in a meaningful way. It was volume, along with his knack for bouncing off defenders, that helped the running back room have success last year.

Matt Rhule and Co. elected not to pick up a running back in the transfer portal for the second straight offseason. That leaves a running back room of returners that failed to see anyone top 150 yards last season.

The three-headed backup monster of Mekhi Nelson, Kwinten Ives, and Isaiah Mozee is back to sort out who gets to be “the guy” going forward.

Nelson had the second-most carries and rushing yards for the room last season, carrying the ball 27 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. His availability is one to watch after legal troubles on a vacation in Florida, but if he’s allowed to play, then he should be considered the favorite among the returning backs.

Ives, who was supposed to be a strong No. 2 a year ago, battled injuries to appear in eight games in 2025. He had 20 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns. His 6.7 yards a carry were the best on the team.

Mozee brings the best pass-catching ability for those out of the backfield, but he should, as a former four-star wide receiver prospect. He had 26 carries for 118 yards. He was second among running backs in receptions (14) and receiving yards (155).

Jamal Rule vs. Mekhi Nelson or Isaiah Mozee vs. Tikey Hayes

True freshman Jamal Rule looks to be walking onto campus as the lead back for this fall. Despite coming in as a three-star prospect, the coaching staff could not have raved about him more through the spring.

“What he looked like today, he looked like all spring long,” Rhule said after the Red-White Spring Game. “He’s very conscientious. He’s big, he’s tough, he’s fast, he’s got home run ability.”

Rule rushed 10 times for 121 yards and a touchdown in his Memorial Stadium debut, adding one catch for 15 yards. His best run was a 75-yarder, where he found space at the line to the right and then broke for the sideline, eventually holding off a defender to finish with the score.

Nelson’s availability is his biggest question. While no charges will be filed, Nebraska could still issue a team punishment. He’s the most well-rounded of the backs after Rule, possessing the ability to run for power, be elusive, and catch the ball.

Mozee is still much more of a pass catcher than a true running back. He looks to be an elite third-down back in passing situations, though Rule and Nelson don’t appear to be bad at that portion of the game either. Mozee also worked out of the slot due to others getting injured last year, which is likely a spot he could slip into again this fall.

Tikey Hayes is a true wildcard in all of this. The former four-star prospect spent just one season at Penn State, struggling to move up a depth chart littered with NFL talent. He hit the transfer portal, spending the spring at Iowa Western, a junior college in Council Bluffs, Iowa. A mid-summer addition, where he fits into the equation is truly anyone’s guess going into the fall.

After plucking Rule out of North Carolina, the Huskers have another incoming running back from the same state. Four-star Amir Brown committed back in November.

As a junior for Rolesville, Brown had 189 carries for 1,374 yards and 22 touchdowns.