CJ Baxter RB Kentucky |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #4 ROLE: Work-Horse Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 09/28/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.48 seconds (76%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.3 DOB: 06/28/2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #4 | |
| ROLE: Work-Horse Back | |
| Last Updated: 09/28/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.48 seconds (76%*) | |
| Age: 21.3 DOB: 06/28/2005 | |
| Overall Rating: |
69.4 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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82% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Rushing: |
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69% |
| Break Tackles: |
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54% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
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53% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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44% |
| Run Blocking: |
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49% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#599
Position rank:
#28 (RB)
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| College Games: 26 College Snaps: 692 | ||
ESPN RATING: 87/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donald Chaney - Charlotte |
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76% |
| Jirehl Brock - Iowa State |
|
70% |
| Alton McCaskill - Sam Houston |
|
65% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A five-star recruit, Baxter started as a true freshman at Texas in 2023, then lost 2024 to a major knee injury and played a limited role behind a deep backfield in 2025 before transferring to Kentucky for 2026.The move restored his workload: he has been the Wildcats feature back this fall, topping 800 rushing yards with a career-high 149-yard game against South Alabama and a two-touchdown day in a win over Texas A&M, and he was named a conference comeback player of the week.
At 6-1 and 227 pounds he is a physical, well-built lead back whose talent is obvious and whose durability is the central question.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Prototype lead-back size and build at 6-1, 227
- Elite recruiting pedigree with early Texas production
- Re-established as a bell-cow with a big 2026 workload
- Contact balance, physical downhill running and receiving ability
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Significant injury history, including a major knee reconstruction
- Lost development time across 2024 and a limited 2025
- Solid but not explosive per-carry efficiency
- Long speed and big-play rate still to prove
- Full-season durability at a heavy workload unproven
Scouting Report: Summary
Baxter is a physical, well-built lead back and former five-star who has re-established himself as Kentucky's bell-cow in 2026 with a big early-season workload and scores against quality competition. However, the injury history is significant, he lost development time in 2024 and 2025, and the per-carry explosiveness and full-season durability are still to prove.Overall, Baxter is a talented, physical early-down back whose size and pedigree are the draw, with health the deciding factor. He projects as a developmental lead-back bet, with the ceiling of an early-down starter if he stays healthy through 2026 and the floor of a rotational power back.
How other scouting services rate CJ Baxter (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
262.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
18.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.