Transfer Portal Bio Blast: CJ Baxter

Kentucky has dipped into the transfer portal to find help at tailback in numerous recent offseasons. Ray Davis and Seth McGowan were both former transfers who went on to make a splash in their only season at UK. Some more shopping was required at the position in 2026 as head coach Will Stein, offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, and running backs coach Kolby Smith take over in Lexington. The Wildcats double-dipped at the position.

Oklahoma transfer Jovontae Barnes secured his spot on the roster on Jan. 6. It took the program nearly a week longer to wrap up the first visitor at the position that Kentucky got on campus. After Indiana surged ahead in the last few days, there was one more surprise twist at the end that led Texas transfer CJ Baxter Jr. to Lexington.

BREAKING: Texas transfer RB Cedric Baxter Jr. has Committed to Kentucky, he tells @On3sports

He was ranked as the No. 1 RB in the 2024 Class (per On3)https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/I3UHijQkJ9

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 11, 2026

The Wildcats currently have five scholarship tailbacks on the roster following the confirmation of Jason Patterson returning for year three in the program. A rotation at the position is expected this fall, but it’s safe to assume that Baxter will have a heavy role in the offense this upcoming season.

What has Kentucky added to the backfield? KSR is taking a closer look at this big name recruiting win for the Cats in the portal.

One of the best players in the 2023 high school class

CJ Baxter Jr. emerged as a major running back prospect during his high school career at Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater. During his career, the tailback accumulated over 4,000 yards from scrimmage. Baxter went over 1,300 rushing yards in each of his last two seasons and ended his career averaging over seven yards per rush. That production in a fertile recruiting area led to a lot of attention for the tailback.

Baxter was tabbed as a five-star recruit in the 2023 cycle. All four major ranking services had the running back ranked in the top 40 nationally. The tailback received an extensive amount of attention as a recruit and could have gone to just about any school in the country.

Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State all got Baxter on campus for visits during the recruiting process. Miami and Texas A&M were also involved. The tailback was a Florida State commit at one point. Baxter ultimately decided to roll with Texas as the program prepared to replace star tailback Bijan Robinson following the 2022 season.

Early impact as a true freshman before injuries hit

Texas had to replace Bijan Robinson in 2023 after the first-round pick left the program. CJ Baxter Jr. found some immediate playing time as a true freshman on a College Football Playoff team.

Jonathon Brooks was RB1 for the Horns that season but Baxter got plenty of action. The tailback started six games and finished second on the team in carries (138), rushing yards (659), and rushing touchdowns (five). The tailback also chipped in 24 receptions. Baxter had a terrific debut season and was looking like a pillar for Steve Sarkisian‘s program.

Then the injuries hit.

Ahead of his sophomore season that included sky-high expectations, Baxter suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp. The tailback tore his LCL and PCL and required surgery. The long rehab process meant that Baxter was limited when he returned for spring practice in 2025. The injuries did not stop there.

In his return as a redshirt sophomore, Baxter was injured in the third game of the season after rushing for 104 yards on 23 carries through the first two weeks. The tailback suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss four consecutive games. Baxter returned to the lineup just before Halloween but struggled to find traction playing behind a Texas offensive line that had a plethora of issues throughout the season.

After a strong start to his career, durability and availability has been a weakness for the tailback. Kentucky will be hopeful that Baxter can find a clean bill of health in Lexington after some tough breaks over the last two seasons in Austin.

Luckett’s Scouting Notebook: CJ Baxter Jr.

CJ Baxter Jr. will be a redshirt junior at Kentucky with two years of eligibility remaining. The Central Florida native has played 500-plus snaps in his career and earned some SEC experience in 2025. Baxter will be the favorite to become offensive coordinator Joe Sloan’s RB1 in 2026.

This is my scouting write-up on the talented running back transfer with an injury history.

CJ Baxter Jr. (6-1, 227) is a big tailback who has some burst and pass-catching ability. The Texas transfer has shown some acceleration through the line of scrimmage when healthy and is a natural pass catcher on screens and swing passes. Baxter is best as a downhill rusher but also has the fluidity to have success in a wide zone scheme thanks to more than adequate cutting with some impressive start and stop ability. Was not a great tackle breaker in 2023 and could improve upon running through contact. Does a good job of knowing when to turn horizontal runs north/south to gain positive yards. Had some of his most impressive reps on gap scheme designs. The tailback has put some solid pass block reps on tape.

Baxter is a load to handle when his shoulders are square, he picks up steam, and runs with a forward lean. This is a big tailback who can hit holes quick and owns real receiving value. Durability is massive question mark. The hamstring injuries that plagued Baxter in high school showed up again in 2025. Meanwhile, the tailback did not look himself coming off the PCL and LCL knee injuries. Baxter needs to get healthy. If he is healthy, this can be a quality RB1 in an SEC offense. This is not a big home run hitter in the explosive play department, but Baxter can be a workhorse back who can consistently find positive yards, keep the offense ahead of the chains, and give a quarterback a nice checkdown option in the passing game.