It’s been quite the crazy few weeks since Will Stein became Kentucky’s new football coach. Not only was he trying to navigate the craziest portal season ever, but continuing his duties as Oregon’s offensive coordinator while they were in the College Football Playoff. During the recently completed two-week portal season, Stein added more than 30 players while 22 left Lexington. Last time out, we introduced you to the almost totally new quarterback room led by former Notre Dame signal-caller Kenny Minchey. This time out, we’re staying in the backfield with a look at the ball carriers. Much like the quarterback position, there’s a lot of turnover from 2025. Let’s introduce you to the players with Kentucky’s post-portal depth chart: running backs.
A New Set Of Backs
Who’s Gone From 2025
The Wildcats’ leading rusher from a season ago, Seth McGowan, is out of eligibility and is off to the NFL Draft. In what was somewhat of a surprise, UK’s second-leading ball carrier, Dante Dowdell, transferred to Georgia. We say it’s a bit of a surprise because Dowdell started his career at Oregon playing for Stein. However, when the Cats brought in a couple of the players you’ll meet shortly, Dowdell hit the portal.
Between the two, they accounted for 1,285 yards in 2025. In addition, Jamarion Wilcox, the Cats’ leading rusher in 2024, didn’t see any playing time and transferred to Marshall.
Now that we’ve shown you who’s heading out of Lexington, let’s introduce you to the newcomers as we continue with the Kentucky post-portal depth chart: running backs.
New Faces Looking For A Fresh Start
Coming out of high school in Florida, CJ Baxter was the top-ranked running back in the 2023 class and the 30th-best player in the nation. Named a second-team freshman All-American, Baxter ran for 659 yards and five touchdowns for the Longhorns.
However, injuries have limited him the last couple of years. He suffered a knee injury, which knocked him out for the 2024 season. Last year, a hamstring injury bothered him all year. He ran for 196 yards in eight games and also caught 12 passes with one score. Overall, 247 Sports lists him as the 12th-best running back and 143rd-best player overall.
Much like Baxter, another incoming transfer, Jovantae Barnes, was highly touted coming out of high school. In fact, he was the 16th-best running back in the 2022 class before committing to Oklahoma. He had a strong freshman year, gaining 519 yards and scoring five times.
His numbers dipped in 2023 before rising again in 2024. During that season, he ran for a career high 577 yards and caught 17 passes. A season ago, he only played in four games, rushing for 45 yards. He took a redshirt to retain one more year of eligibility. 247 Sports ranks him as the 53rd-best running back in the portal.
Stein will need big years from both players in order to have a big 2026. If the injury bug strikes again, then a couple of returning Cats will have to step up.
Pushing For Playing Time
Of Kentucky’s top four running backs from last year, only one is returning for 2026. Jason Patterson appeared in all 12 games, running for 229 yards and one touchdown. His high-water mark came in a 48-23 win over Eastern Michigan when he ran for 80 yards and a touchdown. Tovani Mizell played in three games last season, rushing three times for 10 yards.
Besides Mizell and Patterson, Kentucky has two incoming freshmen who could step in if needed. Delvecchio Alston comes to Lexington from Trussville, Alabama. 247 Sports ranks him as the 64th-best player in Alabama and 99th best running back in the country. He held offers from James Madison, Memphis, South Florida, and Virginia, among other before committing to then head coach Mark Stoops.
Stein and new running backs coach Kolby Smith recently picked up an in-state commit from Jay’Quan Crawford of Bullitt East High School. He ran for 539 yards and five touchdowns as a senior.
Final Thoughts
As long as he stays healthy, Baxter has the potential to become a 1,000-yard rusher for the Wildcats. Should he struggle with injuries, look for Barnes or Patterson to get a much bigger role in the offense.
Thanks for checking out Kentucky’s Post-Portal Depth Chart: Running Backs here at Last Word On College Football. Next time out, we’ll continue our look at the offense by featuring the wide receivers.
Main Photo: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
