Running back, Nebraska, 2024–⁠26

Mekhi Nelson

Number
No. 35
Height
6′0″
Weight
195 lb
Class (2026)
Sophomore
Hometown
Wilkes-barre, PA

Mekhi Nelson plays running back for Nebraska. Last time out, at Oregon: 11 carries, 25 yards; 2 catches, 5 yards.

2026 so far

309 rushing yards, 4 TD

Last game: 11 carries, 25 yards; 2 catches, 5 yards at Oregon, L 14–⁠17

Next game: vs. Washington, Oct 31

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 64OHIO
  2. 48BGSU
  3. 54UND
  4. 61@MSU
  5. 39MD
  6. 18IU
  7. 25@ORE

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

88rushing yards, career highvs. Utah, 20252rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Maryland, 2026

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2024Nebraska122.002
2025Nebraska271475.4238
2026Nebraska713094.4429
Career994584.6638

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2025Nebraska810212.8041
2026Nebraska1116114.6151
Career1926313.8151

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2024Nebraska35RBYr 1
2025Nebraska35RBYr 2
2026Nebraska35RBSo. (Yr 3)6′0″195

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2024Nebraska1-0.58––-0.6–
2025Nebraska370.23––8.66%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Nebraska44%3.401.201.3015%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Nebraska 7 games, 309 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 5vs.OhioW 49–⁠21106412651
Sep 12vs.Bowling GreenW 56–⁠784802340
Sep 19vs.North DakotaW 34–⁠79540170
Sep 26atMichigan StateW 31–⁠1315611–––
Oct 3vs.MarylandW 48–⁠23143923140
Oct 10vs.IndianaL 17–⁠2041801360
Oct 17atOregonL 14–⁠1711250250
2025 Nebraska 10 games, 147 rushing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 28vs.CincinnatiW 20–⁠17100–––
Sep 6vs.AkronW 68–⁠051113520
Sep 20vs.MichiganL 27–⁠3031901−40
Oct 4vs.Michigan StateW 38–⁠271110–––
Oct 11atMarylandW 34–⁠31––––––
Oct 25vs.NorthwesternW 28–⁠21–––160
Nov 1vs.USCL 17–⁠21120–––
Nov 22atPenn StateL 10–⁠373130–––
Nov 28vs.IowaL 16–⁠40130–––
Dec 31 ✦vs.UtahL 22–⁠44128813480
2024 Nebraska 1 game, 2 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31vs.UTEPW 40–⁠7120–––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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