Nebraska football running back Mekhi Nelson was arrested Monday in Key West, Florida, on a charge of aggravated battery involving a pregnant woman, according to jail records from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Nelson, 20, was taken into custody around 11 a.m. at the Blue Flamingo Resort in Key West. According to a police report, officers responded to a disturbance call at the resort at 11:39 a.m.
When they arrived at Nelson’s room, he told officers he had been in an argument with his girlfriend, who is seven months pregnant with what would be their second child together.
Nelson told police the dispute began over how another man — who had also fathered a child with his girlfriend — was speaking to her. He acknowledged to officers that he has anger problems that tend to surface in situations like that one.
The victim, however, gave a different account. She told officers the argument started because Nelson became increasingly frustrated over how long she was taking to get ready for the day.
She said she eventually locked Nelson out of the room but let him back in after he knocked repeatedly, not wanting to cause a scene at the resort.
Once inside, she said Nelson grew angrier. She told police that when she tried to call her mother, Nelson grabbed her phone and threw it across the room.
She also told officers he ripped off her bathing suit top and bottoms, scratching her stomach and thigh in the process. The injuries were described as visible. The victim also informed officers that this was not the first time police had been involved in an incident between the two of them.
Nelson is scheduled to be arraigned on July 9 at 9 a.m.
Nebraska Athletics Responds With Brief Statement
Nebraska Athletics acknowledged the arrest Monday but offered little in the way of detail.
“The Nebraska Athletic Department and football program are aware of the arrest of Mekhi Nelson in Florida. We have no further comment at this time,” the department said in a statement.
As of Monday afternoon, Nelson remained listed on the Nebraska football roster.
Nelson is a redshirt sophomore who has been with the Cornhuskers since 2024. Last season, he appeared in 12 games with one start, carrying the ball 27 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns — second on the team in rushing.
He also caught eight passes for 102 yards. His standout performance came in the Las Vegas Bowl against No. 15 Utah, where he started and totaled 136 yards from scrimmage, including an 88-yard rushing effort with a touchdown.
Heading into the 2026 season, Nelson had been expected to compete for a larger role in Nebraska’s backfield alongside sophomore Isaiah Mozee and true freshman Jamal Rule.
He was also recognized last season as an Academic All-Big Ten selection and a recipient of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team Award.
Before college, Nelson played high school football at Wilkes-Barre High School in Pennsylvania and St. Thomas More in Connecticut.
This is a developing story, and additional details may emerge as the investigation continues.
