Seth McGowan is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career with the Kentucky Wildcats after previous stops at the University of Oklahoma, Texas College, Butler Community College, and New Mexico State University. A native of Mesquite, Texas, McGowan attended Poteet High School and was a consensus four-star recruit ranked inside the top 30 running backs nationally by Rivals in the 2020 class, signing with Oklahoma and immediately contributing as a true freshman with 370 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries including a 73-yard run and three receptions for 70 yards in the Cotton Bowl victory over Florida. He was dismissed from Oklahoma's program in 2021 following legal issues that led to a felony larceny conviction and three months of incarceration followed by a period of probation. His remarkable comeback began at Texas College and continued at Butler Community College before New Mexico State offered him a path back to FBS football in 2024, where he earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors with 813 yards and nine touchdowns across 153 carries. He transferred to Kentucky for his final season in 2025 and earned the starting role, leading the Wildcats with 725 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 165 carries while adding 18 receptions for 121 yards, earning Senior Bowl invitation recognition and becoming the first Kentucky back to post 75-plus rushing yards and a score in each of his first four games since George Adams in 1984.
Standing 6-foot and 215 pounds with a 4.33-second 40-yard dash clocked at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, McGowan is known for rare explosiveness at his size that creates a genuine speed-to-power threat between the tackles, decisive processing that allows him to identify and attack running lanes before most defenders can react, reliable pass-protection willingness that gives him third-down potential in the right system, and the mental fortitude demonstrated by rebuilding a career after extraordinary adversity. NFL evaluators will conduct thorough due-diligence on the off-field background, but his athletic testing and production against SEC competition position him as a Day 3 or priority free agent candidate with the physical tools to carve out a role as a change-of-pace and short-yardage contributor in an NFL backfield.
