​After spending the spring semester at Iowa Western Community College, former Aliquippa and Penn State running back Tikey Hayes is set to commit to Nebraska for the 2026 college football season, as first reported by Sean Callahan of On3 Sports.Following the firing of head coach James Franklin during his freshman season, Hayes took his talents to Iowa Western Community College, a JUCO Powerhouse that has produced numerous Division I prospects, and the Aliquippa native will now be a part of that growing list.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHayes was one of the top running backs in the country while at Aliquippa, rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals and a three-star by 247 Sports, On3 and ESPN. He was also the No. 20 ranked running back and No. 7 prospect in Pennsylvania.During his freshman season at Penn State, Hayes got limited action, appearing in one game in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, where he rushed three times for 18 yards.Penn State running back Tikey Hayes (23) carries the ball during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in State College. The White team defeated the Blue team, 10-8.Required Reading: Former Aliquippa star joins JUCO ranks in second collegiate seasonRequired Reading: Who are the top five returning quarterbacks in the Beaver Valley in 2026?Required Reading: Hopewell quarterback James Armstrong finds right fit with Penn StateAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNebraska is no stranger to Beaver County players, with Blackhawk alum Marques Watson-Trent spending his redshirt-senior season with the Cornhuskers, where he helped the team to a 7-6 record and a 4-5 mark in Big 10 play.Hayes will begin the 2026 campaign with Nebraska on Saturday, September 5 against Ohio University, matching up against one of his former teammates, DJ Walker, a 2023 Aliquippa graduate who currently is a redshirt junior.Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Contact him at emorrison@usatodayco.com and follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Former Aliquippa running back Tikey Hayes set to join Nebraska for 2026 season