Will Stein might be cooking folks; he just landed a former 5-star running back in CJ Baxter to help lead the rebuild in Lexington. Baxter was the number 1 running back in the country in the 2023 class, coming out of Orlando, Florida.
BREAKING: Texas transfer RB Cedric Baxter Jr. has Committed to Kentucky, he tells @On3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 11, 2026
He was ranked as the No. 1 RB in the 2024 Class (per On3)https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/I3UHijQkJ9
CJ Baxter has injury concerns but the potential is unreal
Now, there are some red flags, mainly his health. After a great freshman year, rushing for 659 yards and 5 TDs on 4.8 yards per carry, he tore his knee up in the fall camp of 2024. Injuring his PCL, Baxter came back in 2025 only to see his season end again in frustration. On the first offensive play against UTEP on September 13th, Baxter went down with a hamstring injury.
He missed the next 5 games but returned later in the season, though by that point Quintrevion Wisner had a stranglehold on the starting job. But the potential is there for Baxter to be a 3-down bell cow back.
Why Will Stein is winning the Transfer Portal so far
Getting a former number 1 overall running back to come play in Lexington is no easy feat. Not only did he offer him, but he also snagged his first official visit. There was some smoke of a Colorado visit, but that dwindled. He did spend the weekend with Indiana, but decided Cignetti and the Hoosiers weren't for him. That kind of recruiting prowess will make BBN stand up and applaud.
He is in the midst of a massive overhaul of the offensive line. Coleton Price and Lance Heard headline a portal class that almost every service has in the top 10 before Baxter even committed. But Stein is targeting linemen at all levels. Before the Transfer Portal even opened, Stein and Kentucky went on an offer spree of high school offensive linemen.
Safe to say the Big Blue Wall is well on it's way to being rebuilt.
What's next for Kentucky football?
The dead period starts tomorrow; they can talk to people on their campus, but then a total period takes place for the next three days. Meaning they can't talk to any recruit during that time. Coaches voted to have this period during the AFCA convention, where coaches gather. They may move that starting next year to better line up with the portal. But for now, the Cats are trying to sure up a great portal run. Be sure to follow our tracker here, as we will update it as soon as news breaks.