A connection to an old high school coach led Jamir Conn to the Nebraska football team in 2025, and Husker fans will watch that relationship grow in 2026.
Huskers assistant head coach Jamar Mozee served as head coach for Conn’s high school team, Lee’s Summit North, from 2015 to 2023, then after joining Nebraska’s staff, he helped recruit Conn when he hit the transfer portal in 2025. The senior safety said he was in his kitchen at home when he received the news.
“I was committed to James Madison at the time out of the portal, and my old head coach, Coach Mozee, called me,” Conn told Hail Varsity. “I answered and he told me that they would like to offer, and I honestly thought he was joking. The first thing I asked him was, ‘Are you serious?’”
Mozee was serious, and Conn arrived in Lincoln shortly after. He said Mozee means a lot to him and considers the coach family.
“When I was down and I was asking him what else I had to do to get offers in high school over and over again, he just kept reassuring me to keep doing what you’re doing,” Conn said. “He saw how I work, he saw what I was doing, and he understood what was going on.”
What was happening was Conn having to begin his collegiate career at a smaller school. He had offers from Southern Illinois, South Dakota, North Dakota, Army and others before ultimately choosing the Salukis. He spent two years at Southern Illinois before transferring to Nebraska.
Jamir Conn (13) running drills during Nebraska’s football open practice on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Conn arrived in Lincoln with a lot of hunger and appreciation for the game after only receiving mostly FCS offers out of high school.
“I understand that nothing’s ever given and that I’m not going to take whatever I want in this world and want in this life,” Conn said. “I’m just thankful for everything, because there was a certain point in time where I wasn’t here. I was at a different school, a lower-level school, wishing to play here. When I was in high school, I wanted to play at a school like this and was wondering why I didn’t get offers.”
Those dreams eventually did come true, however. Conn arrived at Nebraska and made an impact immediately.
“The main thing that fuels me in my work ethic is just my want to be great, as well as my want to win,” Conn said. “I understand and really have the belief that this is what God put me on this Earth to do, and I’m just trying to fulfill and be grateful for the gift that he gives me. This is a gift that he gave me, and what are we if we don’t try to make the most out of every gift he gave us?”
Conn made the most of his opportunities right away. As a junior, the Kansas City, Mo., native recorded 10 tackles, a half tackle for loss and one pass breakup in a reserve role on defense. He also had two blocked punts on special teams, which ranked second in the country.
One of these blocked kicks came against Michigan State, with junior tight end Carter Nelson running it back for a touchdown.
After the game, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said the team believed he’d block the kick all week. Conn said his coaches’ and teammates’ faith in him meant a lot.
“There will be doubt creeping in your mind, but at some point when you keep repping something over and over and over again, it becomes second nature,” Conn said. “That’s what it was. We repped it so many times and tried speaking it into existence, and it was almost like there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that that was going to happen. It was just about when.”
The senior will try to carry that momentum with him into 2026 as he looks to play a bigger role.
“I just want to be able to come through for my team at any part, any phase of the game, no matter if it’s special teams or if it’s defense,” Conn said. “I want to never take a play off, because you never know when it’s your time to shine. You never know when it’s going to be your play to make, so you always have to be on your Ps and Qs and be ready to go.”
Conn and the defense have been doing extra workouts and film study sessions to build the team’s chemistry and camaraderie. Conn said he considers the team’s closeness a brotherhood.
“Everybody loves each other, everybody appreciates each other, and it just lets us play as free as we want,” Conn said. “We understand God’s going to appreciate us know matter what.”
As the season draws closer, Conn is working to learn new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich’s scheme with hopes of getting Nebraska’s Blackshirts back to where they once.
“I feel like people in the country aren’t respecting us how they should, and we’ve got to earn that,” Conn said. When we earn that right, that’s going to make us all happy, and we’re going to get back to the national championship. That’s where we deserve to be.”
As for what Husker fans can expect out of this year’s defense, Conn said they will be great.
“If we do what we’re supposed to do, we’re going to be the best in the country,” Conn said. “We have the talent at every level, honestly, and that means that we’re just going to be the best.”
