Seth McGowan RB Kentucky |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #3 ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/25/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.49 seconds (73%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #3 | |
| ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | |
| Last Updated: 02/25/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.49 seconds (73%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 81.3 / 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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81% |
| Break Tackles: |
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70% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
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60% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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37% |
| Run Blocking: |
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58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#181
Position rank:
#9 (RB)
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| College Games: 31 College Snaps: 1023 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 93/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Carson Steele - UCLA |
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82% |
| Keaontay Ingram - USC |
|
82% |
| Quinshon Judkins - Ohio State |
|
77% |
Drafted: ROUND: 7 - Pick Number: 237 (IND)
Draft Profile: Bio
Seth McGowan walked into Norman, Oklahoma as one of the more decorated running back recruits in the 2020 class. A consensus four-star prospect out of Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, he was rated the No. 13 running back nationally by Rivals and sat inside the top 30 recruits in the state. He had earned every bit of that billing over a high school career that produced more than 3,700 yards and 45 touchdowns on the ground. Oklahoma gave him the ball immediately as a true freshman, and McGowan delivered, ripping off 370 yards on 58 carries (6.4 YPC) with three touchdowns, highlighted by a 73-yard rush and three catches for 70 yards in the Cotton Bowl victory over No. 10 Florida. The future looked wide open.Then it all fell apart. McGowan was dismissed from Oklahoma's program in 2021 following an arrest connected to an alleged armed robbery. He ultimately pled guilty to felony larceny and spent three months in prison followed by a year of probation. His football career appeared finished. But McGowan refused to let that be the end of his story. He practiced at Texas College (NAIA) in 2022, then played six games at Butler Community College in Kansas during 2023, totaling 125 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries. It was hardly a glamorous stat line, but it kept the door cracked. New Mexico State took a chance on him for the 2024 season, and McGowan rewarded the Aggies with 813 rushing yards on 153 carries (5.3 YPC) alongside 23 catches for 277 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors and finished fourth among CUSA backs in rushing yards per game.
That performance opened the door to the SEC. McGowan transferred to Kentucky for his final season in 2025 and stepped right into the lead back role, starting 10 of 11 games (missing the Tennessee contest with an injury). He led the Wildcats with 725 rushing yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns on 165 carries, ranking ninth in the SEC in rushing yards per game and fourth in rushing scores. He posted back-to-back 100-yard efforts against Eastern Michigan and at South Carolina, becoming the first UK player with 75-plus rushing yards and a touchdown in each of the first four games since George Adams in 1984. He also tallied 18 catches for 121 receiving yards. His play earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl and multiple Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honorable mention nods. Across his full college career (31 games), McGowan totaled 1,918 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 375 carries, adding 55 receptions for 604 yards and four receiving scores.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Processes the front of the defense rapidly and identifies lanes before most backs would even pick a direction, playing with real decisiveness between the tackles.
- Runs with genuine patience behind developing blocks, letting his linemen work before accelerating through daylight with impressive burst for a 215-pound frame.
- Stacks cuts with loose hips and quick feet in tight quarters, stringing together multiple direction changes without losing forward momentum or balance through traffic.
- Converts speed to power effectively at the point of contact, lowering his pads and driving through arm tackles to churn out tough yards after the initial hit.
- Manipulates his torso and gets compact when absorbing contact from multiple defenders, squeezing out extra yardage that lesser backs would leave on the field.
- Thrives in gap and power concepts where his vision and downhill mentality are best utilized, averaging over six yards per carry on pull-lead runs across the last two seasons.
- Keeps his eyes downfield even while navigating jumpcuts, always angling toward the next first down marker rather than settling for what the blocking gives him.
- Willing and capable in pass protection when locked in, showing the frame and base strength to square up blitzers and anchor against inside pressure.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Alarming lack of explosive plays at the SEC level, with a long run of just 20 yards in 2025 and very few carries gaining 10-plus yards against quality defenses.
- Ball security is a legitimate red flag after five fumbles over the last two seasons, a number that will make NFL coaches nervous about trusting him in critical situations.
- Pass blocking grades fell off a cliff in his final season, with too many costly whiffs and missed assignments that would get exposed at the next level immediately.
- Limited receiving upside, running choppy routes out of the backfield with stiff mechanics that prevent him from threatening defenses as a true third-down weapon.
- Will turn 24 before his rookie season even begins, meaning his prime window is shorter than most backs entering the league and his tread count matters more.
Scouting Report: Summary
The film on McGowan tells a clear story: this is a runner who sees it, trusts it, and hits it. Between the tackles in man and power schemes, he plays with the kind of processing speed and downhill temperament that translates. His best work at Kentucky came on gap runs, and when the blocking was there, he rewarded it with decisive cuts and strong contact balance. The redemption arc is real and compelling. You can see a back who plays with something to prove, who runs angry and finishes through contact like a guy who knows what it feels like to have football taken away from him.The concerns, though, are equally real. The explosive play numbers from his Kentucky tape are genuinely troubling. At New Mexico State, he popped long runs with regularity, but against SEC competition, those plays simply vanished. A 20-yard long on 165 carries is a number that stands out in the wrong way. The fumbling has to clean up, full stop. And the pass protection tape from 2025 was rough. He has the frame for it, and he showed more willingness than technique, but at the NFL level, a back who cannot protect the quarterback on third down is a back who sits on the sideline during the most important snaps. The receiving game is limited too, more of a checkdown option than someone who will stress a defense out of the backfield.
McGowan fits best in a downhill, run-heavy offense where he can work as a committee back within gap and power schemes. He is not a three-down starter at the next level. He is a role player with a real role: an early-down grinder who can pick up tough yards between the tackles and score at the goal line. In the right system, with a lead blocker and a physical offensive line in front of him, there is Day 3 value here. The character questions will require extensive vetting, and his age limits the long-term ceiling, but the tape at its best shows a back who can contribute meaningful snaps in an NFL rushing attack.
Seth McGowan percentiles vs other Running Backs (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Seth McGowan (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
174.6
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
15.0
*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.