Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-21vs Ohio | 10 | 64 | 6.4 | 1 | 29 | Season-high 64 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 56-7vs Bowling Green | 8 | 48 | 6.0 | 0 | 22 | |
| Wk 3 | W 34-7vs North Dakota | 9 | 54 | 6.0 | 0 | 24 | |
| Total | 27 | 166 | 6.1 | 1 | 29 |
#35
Mekhi Nelson
Sophomore running back for Nebraska. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 195 lb · Wilkes-barre, PA · Wilkes-Barre/St. Thomas More [Conn.] Prep
The numbers
166
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 64 rush yds, 1 TD, 65 rec yds, vs Ohio
Swing playSwung Nebraska from 53% to 81% to win.Northwestern at Nebraska · 28-21
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore running back for Nebraska. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Nebraska in 2024.
- 147 rushing yards in 2025. Then 166 in 2026.
- Nelson cleared to play for Nebraska (Jul 30) Reported
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
13.1own fans
20national conversation
Mekhi Nelson
This is his third year in the same backfield at Nebraska. The receipt: 65 rec yds, 64 rush yds against Ohio — Week 1, 2026.
166 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 27 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Nebraska3-star out of St. Thomas More
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Nebraska
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Nebraska
Played his entire career under Matt Rhule.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Mekhi Nelson's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 34–7
vs North Dakota
54 rush yds (9 car)
Dominant 27-point win at home against North Dakota.
With A. Colandrea — 195 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.6 · 19 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · J. Rule — 119 rush yds (15 car) · 2 TD
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +54 rushing yards, +1 catch.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Matt Rhule — 17-12 over that span.
2024Nebraska7-6HC: Matt Rhule · Balanced
2025Nebraska7-6HC: Matt Rhule · Run-leaning
2026Nebraska3-0HC: Matt Rhule · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: rec yards (96th percentile). Strength: yards / carry (82nd percentile). Concern: carries (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 55.3 | 6.1 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 55.3 | 6.1 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Rhule
Pass share
42.7%
90 pass / 121 run
Plays / game
70.3
3 games
Team sack rate
3.2%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #65
Peaked at #65 this season.
The backfield · Nebraska
- #35Mekhi Nelson147 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Kwinten Ives133 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Isaiah Mozee115 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Conor Booth6 rushing yards · 2025
- #25Jamal Rule3 games · 2026
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology