🔥 Trending Tikey Hayes: Nebraska Football's New Running Back Addition

Tikey Hayes is an American college football running back who has recently been in the news for his transfers between prominent university football programs. He is known for his athletic talent, having been a highly-rated recruit out of high school ⁷.

Early Career and Penn State

Hayes, originally from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, played high school football for Aliquippa High School, where he was a standout player. In his senior year, he accumulated 1,022 rushing yards on 97 carries and scored 17 touchdowns ⁷. He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals ⁷.

He began his collegiate career at Penn State University, joining the team as a freshman in 2025 ¹⁸. During his time at Penn State, he wore jersey number 23 and was listed at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds ¹. Hayes made an appearance in Penn State's Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson ⁶⁸.

Transfer to Iowa Western Community College

In January 2026, Hayes entered the transfer portal ³. The semi-mystery surrounding his next destination was solved when it was reported in May 2026 that he had transferred to Iowa Western Community College ²³. He still had four years of eligibility remaining at this point ³.

Transfer to Nebraska

Most recently, in July 2026, it was reported that Tikey Hayes plans to join the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team ⁴⁷. This move is expected to strengthen Nebraska's backfield, with Hayes bringing "Big Ten-tested boost" to the team ⁶. He arrives at Nebraska with four years of eligibility remaining ⁴. This transfer provides Nebraska with additional running back depth before fall camp ⁶.