A Trio of Cats on 2026 Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior running back CJ Baxter Jr., senior defensive back Aaron Gates and senior outside linebacker Sam Greene have been named to the 2026 Comeback Player of the Year Award as announced by the College Sports Communicators in association with the Associated Press and the Fiesta Sports Foundation on Thursday.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Kentucky has had two previous winners. J.J. Weaver was a recipient in 2021, and Kenneth Horsey was honored in 2020.
Baxter, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound running back from Boynton Beach, Florida, transferred to Kentucky from Texas in January. Baxter had a major right-knee injury in August of 2024 during training camp where he had a multi-ligament injury, tearing the ACL, LCL and PCL in his knee and missed the 2024 season. After working his way back to the field, he suffered a hamstring injury on the very first play of the game against UTEP in week three on Sept. 13, 2025, and was limited to just eight games and 196 yards rushing for the season.
For his career, Baxter has seen action in 22 games. He has rushed for 855 yards and five touchdowns. Baxter has totaled 1,052 yards from scrimmage with 36 receptions and a receiving TD. He averages 4.5 yards per carry with a career-long dash of 54 yards. Baxter was a five-star prospect and one of the nation’s top overall players in the class of 2023.
Gates, a transfer from Florida, is a 6-0, 199-pound defensive back from Newnan, Georgia. The multidimensional player is set to take on the “star” position for Kentucky this season, considered the “Swiss Army knife” of the defense.
Gates endured a season-ending shoulder injury on Sept. 20, 2025, during Florida’s game vs. Miami in the first quarter. He suffered a torn labrum and had surgery on Sept. 30, just 10 days removed from the injury. Prior to the injury, he had appeared in four games and recorded seven tackles. The shoulder injury was the second in a difficult career for Gates, as he also endured a torn ACL on Nov. 23, 2024, during the first half of Florida’s 24-17 upset over No. 9 Ole Miss. He missed the remainder of the season before working his way back to the field for the start the 2025 season-opening kickoff.
In 2024, prior to the injury Gates made five starts at the star position. He logged 27 tackles, 14 solo stops, 4.0 tackles for a loss, one interception, three pass break ups, two fumble recoveries and one quarterback hurry in those five outings. In all, Gates has seen action in 18 career games and made 34 tackles and recovered three fumbles.
Greene, a 6-2, 251-pound outside linebacker is in his second season with the Cats. The Washington, D.C., native suffered a torn ACL during Kentucky’s 38-7 win over Florida on Nov. 8, 2025. Prior to the injury, Greene had amassed 25 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Pro Football Focus College ranks Greene as the Southeastern Conference’s ninth-best edge rusher with a 75.8 grade entering 2026. He is Kentucky’s most experienced outside linebacker with Power Four experience and is expected to be a mainstay for that unit.
Greene has seen action in 24 career games, making 12 starts. In all, he has totaled 41 tackles, 6.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks.
Kentucky opens the 2026 season against Youngstown State on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. ET in Kroger Field. The game will air live on SEC Network+.
Primary inventory single-game tickets for all Kentucky home games are now on sale online through Ticketmaster and UKFootballTix.com.
For fans planning to attend multiple games this fall, season tickets continue to offer the best value and guarantee access to all home games at Kroger Field. Season tickets remain available, including fewer than 110 seats remaining in the brand-new North Upper Level Chairback sections.
Fans also may purchase 3-, 4- and 5-game mini-pack options, providing flexibility while securing seats for some of the season’s most anticipated matchups.
For more information on the UK football team, visit ukathletics.com/football and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and X.
