Texas RB transfer CJ Baxter commits to Kentucky

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Former Texas running back CJ Baxter has committed to Kentucky out of the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Baxter is a former five-star recruit.

The Wildcats and new head coach Will Stein beat out Indiana for his services. Baxter also visited Colorado during his portal recruitment.

Baxter left Austin after the 2025 season having appeared in 21 games, totaling 855 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 36 receptions for 197 yards and another score. He arrived with immediate expectations as a true freshman, rushing for 659 yards and five touchdowns in Year 1, but injuries limited his workload later during his time at Texas.

The hope was that 2024 would be Baxter’s true ascension. Instead, a knee injury wiped out his sophomore campaign entirely. His return in 2025 never fully ignited either. Baxter finished with just 196 rushing yards and no touchdowns, unable to reclaim the role many envisioned when he committed to the Longhorns.

Baxter played high school football at Edgewater (Orlando, FL), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 30 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

He’ll join a Kentucky program that has underwent some changes this offseason. Longtime head coach Mark Stoops was fired after 13 seasons with UK after missing out on bowl eligibility for the second-straight season. Before 2024, Kentucky had gone to eight-straight bowl games — a program record.

Stoops was quickly replaced with Will Stein, who served previously served as the Oregon offensive coordinator. However, he’s been active in the portal since it opened on Jan. 2 despite the Ducks still being alive in the College Football Playoff.

In addition to Baxter, Kentucky has signed QB Kenny Minchey from Notre Dame after flipping him from Nebraska. They also signed one of the best offensive linemen in this portal cycle, Lance Heard from Tennessee.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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