The 2026 Kentucky football backfield is set to have two different sides of the Red River Rivalry. CJ Baxter is coming from Texas, while Jovantae Barnes is coming from Oklahoma, and it’s clear the rivalry is alive and well.
“It’s a real kind of beef. It’s nothing fake, but we’re going to put that to the side,” Barnes told KSR during a special Here Comes the Boom episode on Monday. We are trying to achieve one thing, and that’s a national championship and an SEC championship. I’m excited that he chose to come here.