The opening weekend of the transfer portal brought plenty of big names to Kentucky. One of them has decided to wear a Kentucky uniform in the fall of 2026.

Running back CJ Baxter will transfer from Texas to Kentucky. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Baxter committed to the Cats after completing a visit to Indiana over the weekend.

Baxter will become the most prolific high school running back to suit up for the Wildcats. He was a five-star talent and the top-ranked running back in the 2023 recruiting class. During his All-American senior season in Florida, he tallied  1,375 yards and 15 touchdowns, finishing his prep career with more than 4,000 all-purpose yards and 58 total touchdowns.

Once he arrived in Austin, Baxter made an immediate impact. He was a Second Team Freshman All-American after earning six starts and rushing for 659 yards on 138 carries (4.8 ypc) and five touchdowns.

Unfortunately, injuries prevented Baxter from parlaying that freshman pop into more production. He suffered a season-ending right knee injury ahead of his sophomore season. He returned in 2025 and started in the opener against Ohio State, but the injury bug bit again three games into the season. A hamstring injury plagued him throughout the year, limiting Baxter to eight games. He finished the year with 54 carries for 196 yards (3.6 ypc.).

The 6-1, 227-pounder is a physical running back with breakaway speed. If he can return to form after two injury-plagued season, Baxter has a chance to be special at Kentucky.

Transfer Portal Commits

Kentucky added four players in less than an hour, bringing the total of transfer portal commits up to 24.

Player Position High School Former School Year Olaus Alinen G/T (6-6, 322) Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee School Alabama Redshirt Junior Jesse Anderson S (6-0, 180) Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons Pittsburgh Redshirt Junior Max Anderson iOL (6-5, 311) Frisco (Texas) High Tennessee Redshirt Sophomore Elijah “Bo” Barnes LB (6-1, 244) Dallas (Texas) Skyline Texas Redshirt Freshman Jovantae Barnes RB (6-0, 211) Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines Oklahoma Redshirt Senior CJ Baxter RB (6-1, 227) Orlando (Fl.) Edgewater Texas Redshirt Junior Ahmad Breaux iDL (6-3, 278) Ruston (La.) High LSU Junior Jordan Castell S (6-2, 213) Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange Florida Senior Xavier Daisy WR (6-3, 210) Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School UAB Junior Ja’Kayden Ferguson WR (6-2, 187) Missouri City (Texas) Thurgood Marshall Arkansas Sophomore Aaron Gates Nickel (6-0, 198) Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian Florida Redshirt Junior Jamarrion Harkless iDL (6-3, 315) Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass Purdue Redshirt Junior Lance Heard T (6-6, 330) Monroe (La.) Neville LSU | Tennessee Senior Mark Manfred III CB (6-1, 175) Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry Missouri Redshirt Freshman Kenny Minchey QB (6-2, 208) Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II Notre Dame Redshirt Junior Antonio O’Berry EDGE (6-6, 240) Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne Tiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb 6th-Year Senior Coleton Price iOL (6-3, 318) Bowie (Texas) High Baylor Redshirt Senior Spencer Radnoti LS (6-3, 230) Canton (Ga.) Cherokee Georgia State Redshirt Sophomore Cyrus Reyes S (6-1, 200) Taylor (Texas) High Mississippi State Junior Mark Robinson OT (6-5, 320) Lyman (Florida) UTEP Redshirt Sophomore Hasaan Sykes CB (6-0, 185) Tuckert (Ga.) High Western Carolina Junior Tavion Wallace LB (6-1, 239) Baxley (Ga.) Appling County Arkansas Sophomore Dominic Wiseman iDL (6-2, 300) Davenport (Iowa) High South Alabama Redshirt Senior Adam Zouagui K (5-11, 188) Herndon (Va.) High Davidson | South Florida Senior

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