How Kentucky Will Juggle The Running Back Rotation

Kentucky is preparing to launch a two-pronged rushing attack in 2025 behind a beefy, rebuilt offensive line. The key to offensive success is on the ground, and the Cats think they have big enough guns to accomplish that in a difficult SEC, but how exactly will they do that?

Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has made it clear that the Wildcats’ two transfers, Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan, will receive a lion’s share of the carries. How will they alternate responsibilities in the backfield? A plan is in place.

“There’s things that one back does better than the other back,” Hamdan said earlier this week. “When you talk about run schemes, inside zone, outside zone, gap schemes, you always want to tailor what you’re doing based off what they feel more comfortable with.”

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Dowdell’s strengths are obvious. He is one of the best of the best at getting hard yards, an area where the Wildcats struggled mightily last season. While Kentucky stalled inside the five for almost a month straight, he was bruising for 12 touchdowns at Nebraska as the most effective short-yardage back in America.

McGowan has size that compares to his counterpart, but he’s shown a little more explosiveness in the open field throughout his career. He has the ability to operate in the wide zone, make a tackler a miss, and move the chains.

That doesn’t mean they are necessarily one-trick ponies. Running backs coach Jay Boulware is comfortable putting either player in any situation because they know what they’re doing. That wasn’t the case a year ago.

“We had really and truly one guy that knew everything and could do everything right. Then I had some young, talented freshmen that didn’t do everything right, wasn’t running the right way,” said Boulware.

“People were blaming the line for stuff. It’s really my young back that’s going the wrong way or taking the wrong steps and all that stuff. This is a different situation now. We got veterans that are there that make the right reads, that take the right steps, that pick up pass pro. They’re big. They’re physical. I look forward to seeing them on the field in a live setting. We can just roll.”

Most importantly, Boulware and Hamdan have multiple options. This team is set up to run the damn ball. They’re going to take some licks. The key is ensuring that they’re still at their best in November.

“I like to try to develop our guys to be able to do just about everything. There’s going to be some play-calls and whatnot where we want a particular guy in that’s going to be built into the call, so we’ll be able to get those guys in. Other than that, I just try to keep those guys fresh. I’d much rather have a fresh guy running than a guy that’s just tired and getting worn down,” said Boulware.

If they do get worn down or take some lumps that send them to the sidelines, Jamarion Wilcox showed plenty of explosiveness in the past, and Jason Patterson has made the most of additional reps during fall camp to earn an opportunity this fall. Kentucky’s rushing attack has options, something that wasn’t the case a year ago.