⚡ CFB Dashboard

Earlier this week, Kentucky football head coach Will Stein confirmed that running back Jovantae Barnes is cleared and ready to compete in the Cats' SEC opener against Alabama. Sure enough, when the SEC availability reports began rolling in, Barnes wasn't listed. With kickoff against Alabama just hours away now, he remains ready to go. It would stand to reason then that, against the Crimson Tide, Kentucky fans will finally see the arrival of Barnes, who missed most of the spring, summer and fall for the Cats due to what was described as an "unfortunate" happening during spring ball. That undisclosed injury was the latest in a long line of hurdles Barnes has faced in his college career thus far, playing in just four games (the first four) for Oklahoma last season before redshirting. Despite that, Barnes is a veteran at the position and has proven production to his name, which is why Stein and the staff were so keen on bringing him in to be part of a foundational team that UK's head coach hopes will set the tone for what could be a lengthy tenure in Lexington. Prior to Kentucky, Barnes logged 31 games with 10 starts, putting together 294 career carries for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also showed himself to be a threat in the passing game, catching 28 receptions for 188 yards and an extra touchdown. All of that career history includes three 100+-yard games and a 200+-yard game. So, if Barnes is back, what should fans expect? Last week, the Wildcats used starting back CJ Baxter sparingly, letting him handle just nine carries, but he made the most of it, finding his way into the end zone twice. Behind Baxter, Jason Patterson and Martels Carter Jr. took on the bulk of the carries while Ahmir Smith featured once the game had been put away. Early in the week, Stein harped on the "depth" that Barnes brings to the unit, but during his weekly radio show, he took it a bit further. "Jovantae's been getting back to full strength, so we're excited about his opportunity," he said. "We expect him to be able to play this Saturday and give us some more added depth in the running back room. He's a very explosive player, obviously a veteran player, and I'm ready to see him go out there and compete." Barnes had his first real opportunities since going down to fully feature in practice and, according to Baxter, he made the most of those opportunities. "He was out there today and yesterday," Baxter said on Wednesday. "His energy, like it was super– We needed it for sure, he's energy. He's been in the playbook, so I feel like he's not far off at all. He knows what he has to do, he knows his assignment." Beyond that, Baxter expressed excitement about having another veteran back in the room, especially as it pertains to mentoring and shaping up Patterson and Carter Jr., the latter of which made the switch from DB to RB over the offseason. Ever the humble star, Baxter also seemed excited to see what he could learn from Barnes himself, too. "He's a hard runner, hard-nose(d)," Baxter said. "And then he's experienced as well. We can teach each other stuff and we pour it down to the rest of the guys." At the end of the day, regardless of how heavily he features, Barnes' return couldn't come at a better time as the Cats face a daunting task ahead of them. No. 12 Alabama is in Lexington for the SEC opener and, as the Cats search for their first win over the Tide since 1997 and third all-time, they'll need all the strength they can get. The contest against Alabama is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and air live on ABC. Alabama remains a 10-point favorite.