Kentucky’s 31-21 upset of Texas A&M in College Station was the kind of road win that can change the feel around a program fast, and it gave the Wildcats plenty to celebrate in the early days of the Will Stein era.
At 2-1, Kentucky has every reason to believe it belongs in the Top 25 conversation. But this one carried extra weight for senior running back CJ Baxter, whose start with the Wildcats has been productive, emotional and, in his words, deeply personal.
Baxter finished the night with 19 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, good for 4.6 yards per attempt. He also chipped in a 28-yard catch-and-run out of the backfield, one of the game’s biggest plays.
For Baxter, the performance hit differently because of everything that came before it. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound back was once a 5-star recruit who originally committed to Texas out of high school. He had started six games as a true freshman for the Longhorns in 2023, then piled up accolades as a second-team Freshman All-American, the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection.
Then came the setback. Baxter missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a knee injury in fall camp. He returned in 2025 but managed just 196 rushing yards before entering the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season and landing at Kentucky, where he felt he could make the biggest impact.
After the win, Baxter called the moment emotional for both himself and the team.
"It definitely (was) emotional, personally and for the team," Baxter said on SiriusXM after the game… The preparation that we put in, (we knew) it was gonna pay off, and that’s exactly what it did. But then for me personally, super emotional.
You know, I was emotional after the game when I took a moment to sit down and decompress. I’ve been through a lot the last two, three years of my career, and just going out there and performing the way I perform … (I don’t have) words.
I can’t get enough words for it.”
He expanded on that feeling later on the "Night Cap" podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Joe Johnson (h/t On3).
“That’s why I wanted a change, you know what I’m saying?” Baxter said.
“Freshman year, I was an All-American, all of that, you name it, whatever. Sophomore year, I tore my knee two weeks before the first game, so I missed the whole year.
And then last year, you know, coming back off the knee, I just didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I needed a change, and this was the place that won me over.”
Through three games, Baxter has 39 carries for 164 yards and four touchdowns, plus three receptions for 43 yards.
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