Kentucky looks poised to get a key piece back in the backfield when Alabama comes to town.
At his Tuesday press conference, head coach Will Stein said the Wildcats were expected to be at full strength in Week 2, and that included Oklahoma transfer Jovantae Barnes. Stein later told Tom Leach on Wednesday, “Jovantae’s been getting back to full strength, and so we’re excited about his opportunity. We expect him to be able to play this Saturday and give us some more added depth in that running back room,”
Barnes was dressed for Kentucky’s Week 1 game against Youngstown State but did not see action. The Las Vegas native from Desert Pines has been working back from an injury suffered during spring practice, and his return would give Kentucky another option in a running back group that already added Texas transfer CJ Baxter in the portal.
The appeal with Barnes is easy to see. He brings speed, size and a little bit of juice to the offense, and Stein made it clear he thinks there’s big-play potential there.
“He’s a home run threat. He’s got elite top-end speed.
He’s got twitch,” Stein said. “He’s got good size, too.
I think if anybody sees him in person, he’s not like a small, twitchy fast guy. He’s got broad shoulders, and he’s going to carry 205-210 pounds and can run like that.”
Barnes arrives in Lexington after four seasons at Oklahoma, where he appeared in 31 games and logged more than 800 career snaps. He finished with 1,281 rushing yards, 28 catches and 13 total touchdowns. The former class of 2022 recruit was a top-150 national prospect out of high school and gave the Sooners productive stretches when healthy.
That last part has mattered throughout his career. Barnes has dealt with foot, ankle and hamstring injuries, and he has had trouble staying on the field long enough to string together a full season.
Even so, the production has been there. He topped 500 rushing yards in both 2022 and 2024, the only seasons in which he was available for more than half of Oklahoma’s schedule.
Kentucky’s scouting outlook on Barnes is built around versatility. He’s described as a back who can handle what’s blocked, squeeze out extra yards with a forward lean and contribute as both a receiver and in pass protection. At 211 pounds, he projects as a rotation option who can add value in multiple ways if he stays healthy.
For now, the expectation is that he’ll finally be available when Kentucky takes on Alabama on Saturday at Kroger Field.
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