If there was any lingering doubt about what Kentucky football wants to be in 2025, it’s officially gone now. The Wildcats have added New Mexico State transfer Seth McGowan, a powerful and explosive back who once started his college career at Oklahoma.
Pair him with Dante Dowdell, formerly of Oregon and Nebraska, and returning talents Jamarion Wilcox and Jason Patterson, and you’ve got the kind of bruising backfield that brings to mind one thing: the Eddie Gran Mark Stoops era is back.
Ground and pound is back in style
Second-year offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan appears to be steering the offense back to its old-school identity—run the ball, control the clock, and wear you down. And the portal activity backs that up. Kentucky loaded up on blocking receivers, a run-first tight end, and a revamped offensive line built to open holes and move piles.
Get ready to see 40 rush attempts a game, Big Blue Nation.
The real question now is: Will it work?
The redemption of Seth McGowan
McGowan’s journey to Lexington has been anything but conventional. A former blue-chip recruit, he flashed major potential as a true freshman at Oklahoma in 2020, rushing for 370 yards on just 58 carries (6.4 YPC) and scoring three touchdowns while also hauling in 201 yards receiving.
But off-the-field issues led to his dismissal. You can read more about that story by clicking here. After stepping away from college football to resolve those matters, McGowan made a quiet return—at the NAIA level. Two years later, he reemerged at New Mexico State, and the talent was still very real: 823 rushing yards, 277 receiving yards, 6 total touchdowns in 2024, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Through it all, McGowan carried a reminder of his journey—Psalm 23:4 tattooed across his chest:
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Kentucky’s backfield: Deep, tough, dangerous
Seth McGowan: A home-run hitter with elite balance and bounce-back experience.
Dante Dowdell: A bruiser with SEC size who excels in short yardage.
Jamarion Wilcox: Showed flashes as a freshman—shifty and strong and can take it to the house on any play.
Jason Patterson: Stoops has praised him as developing into an every down back.
Put simply: this is Kentucky’s deepest backfield in years.
Big Blue identity crisis? Or identity found?
The shift back to a run-first identity may feel like a step backward in a quarterback-driven league, but there’s also a quiet confidence building in Lexington. If this offensive line can deliver and the running backs stay healthy, Hamdan’s strategy might just work—especially against SEC defenses worn down by pace and finesse.
A lot has to click. But one thing is certain: the Wildcats are going to punch you in the mouth this fall—again, and again, and again.