Kentucky Transfers Aim to Revive Wildcats' Rushing Attack

As the Kentucky football program prepares for the upcoming season, they are turning to a pair of first-year transfer players to revive their physical rushing attack. Dante Dowdell, a 6-foot-2, 227-pound junior who started seven games at Nebraska last year, and Seth McGowen, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior looking to get back to high-level college football, have emerged as the leaders of the Wildcats' backfield.

According to UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, the team's rushing game will "start with those two big backs we brought in." Dowdell, a former four-star recruit, tallied 614 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games with Nebraska last season. Prior to that, he appeared in six games as a true freshman at Oregon. McGowan, meanwhile, joined Kentucky after a tumultuous journey that included a stint at Oklahoma, where he was arrested and dismissed from the team in 2021. After spending time at other colleges, he found his way to New Mexico State, where he rushed for 823 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.

Both Dowdell and McGowen are expected to play a significant role in Kentucky's efforts to return to their trademark physical running style this fall. As McGowen put it, he is bringing "a lot of passion" and a "pure intent and will to win and dominate" to the Wildcats' offense.