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Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Running game will be vital for UK
- Story byMessenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
- Running game will be vital for UK
With Kentucky's offense undergoing a makeover under the Wildcats' new staff, much of the offseason attention has been placed on the team's potential passing attack — but first-year coach Will Stein's running backs will remain an important piece this fall.
In his three seasons as offensive coordinator at Oregon, Stein helped develop Heisman Trophy finalist quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, but the Ducks still finished among the country's most effective rushing units. Last year, Oregon ranked third nationally with 5.91 yards per carry and produced 198.6 yards per contest for 20th overall in FBS.
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In the final season under Mark Stoops in 2025, UK recorded 3.87 yards per carry (93rd) and just 139.2 yards per game (86th).
Now with a renewed focus on offense, Cats coaches aren't shying away from multiple-back sets and heavy formations as they prepare for the physicality of the Southeastern Conference.
"What's underrated about what (Stein) did at Oregon is the run game component, just the diversity of it," Dan Casey, a prominent football educator and consultant, told Kentucky Sports Radio last week. "I think some guys will say, 'I'm more of the zone-scheme side of things,' or 'I'm more on the gap-scheme' — he really blends everything together well.
"Last year at Oregon, they had a lot of injuries. I thought they adapted the offense really well to absorb some of those injuries and continue to play really high-level offensive football."
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However, injuries have been a concern for Kentucky through spring and summer workouts.
The Cats brought in a pair of highly-touted running back transfers with former five-star prospect CJ Baxter from Texas and former four-star recruit Jovantae Barnes from Oklahoma, but both have been held out of action to preserve them for the season.
"Everybody's going to be back," Stein said during the spring. "I'm excited about that. Some stuff, you just want to make sure. We've just got to get these guys to the fall, and I'm not going to risk anything with certain players."
Baxter, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior, appeared in eight games for the Longhorns last year, recording 196 yards on 54 carries and reeling in 12 passes for 41 yards and a TD. He missed much of the season with a hamstring injury after sitting out the entire 2024 campaign with LCL and PCL tears in his right knee. As a freshman in 2023, he finished with 659 yards and five TDs on 138 rushes, with 24 catches for 156 yards through the air for Texas.
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Barnes, a 6-foot, 214-pound graduate student, has battled foot injuries throughout his college career. Last season at Oklahoma, he was limited to 45 yards and a TD on 19 carries in four games. As a junior in 2024, Barnes posted 577 yards and five scores on 122 rushes, with 17 catches for 123 yards and another TD.
The only returning Wildcat running back with significant playing time last season is 5-10 redshirt sophomore Jason Patterson, who rushed for 225 yards and one TD with 57 attempts last fall.
To combat the injury bug, UK coaches even moved 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt freshman Martels Carter Jr. from safety to running back.
"I'm very proud of him just for making a change," Stein said of Carter. "... Martels Carter is about Kentucky, he's about the team, and what I saw every day from him was improvement.
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"He's got natural running back ability. He catches the ball well, he's got good vision. I'm excited about the future of him at back and will continue to press this summer and fall and get him into a spot to be productive for us this fall."
