The Kentucky Wildcats are kicking off strong with the commitment of CJ Baxter Jr. Coming out of high school, he was ranked among the nation’s top running backs. He holds the No. 30 overall spot and the title of No. 1 running back in the 247Sports composite rankings.
When the portal first opened, Baxter made a trip to Lexington, and it looked like the Wildcats might land one of the sought-after running backs. The Indiana Hoosiers, a rising team headed to the national championship next Monday night, then came hard. With a late push, Kentucky locked in his commitment on Sunday to Will Stein and his staff, bringing a surge of excitement back to Lexington.
A former five-star recruit who spent three seasons with the Texas Longhorns, Baxter has proven to be one of the best running backs in the country when healthy. In 2023, he made a big impact, rushing for 659 yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, while also catching passes for 156 yards. His performance earned him honorable mention All-Big 12 and Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors.
Baxter, ranked No. 142 overall and No. 11 among running backs in the transfer portal by 247Sports, still has two years of eligibility remaining. With Stein at the helm and the early pickup of Jovantae Barnes from the Oklahoma Sooners, the Wildcats now have a strong one-two punch in the backfield. This isn’t the old Kentucky—Stein and his staff are aiming to add even more talent from the portal to round out the class.
The Wildcats are making big moves to revamp the Big Blue Wall. On Saturday, they landed one of the top offensive linemen in the portal, Lance Heard, a transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers. Originally committed to the LSU Tigers in the 2024 recruiting class, he was rated five stars by 247Sports and ranked as the number 16 overall player in the class.
After a season in Baton Rouge, Heard transferred to Tennessee as the starting left tackle. Over those two seasons, he allowed only four sacks and is projected to be a plug-and-play starter from day one in Lexington. A standout talent and one of the nation’s top linemen, he earned All-SEC honors in 2025 and would bring valuable experience to the offensive line. The Big Blue Wall is being rebuilt into what Kentucky is known for—producing standout linemen.
The last piece to the skill position puzzle could be another Texas star, Deandre Moore Jr., a gifted wide receiver who’s made a big impact with the Longhorns. Once ranked No. 110 in the 2023 recruiting class, he’s climbed to No. 29 overall and No. 5 in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings. Last season, Moore hauled in 38 catches for 532 yards and four touchdowns, proving himself as a key playmaker.
Kentucky is definitely in the mix, joined by other contenders like the Colorado Buffaloes, Louisville Cardinals, Ole Miss Rebels, and Ohio State Buckeyes. Moore, fresh out of the portal, quickly visited Kentucky and even shared a photo of himself in Wildcats gear on X, the social media platform. A decision is imminent, and the Kentucky staff feels confident about sealing the deal for Moore, with Ole Miss being the other team making a strong push for his commitment.
The Wildcats are riding high right now in the transfer portal, and the momentum isn’t slowing down. This is the most talent the program has assembled in quite some time, even during the Mark Stoops era, thanks to the kind of players Stein is bringing in. It’s an exciting time to be a Kentucky fan, and football season can’t get here soon enough for Big Blue Nation.
Buckle up folks, this is only the beginning.
For more coverage of Jon, Click here. Kentucky Football’s Next Chapter Begins With Offensive Guru Will Stein
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