Will Stein: CJ Baxter Is Back Working and Expected to Be Available for Vanderbilt

Good news for the Kentucky run game. Will Stein said Wednesday that running back CJ Baxter is back working, and the Cats expect to have him for Saturday night's game against Vanderbilt at Kroger Field.

"He's back working, so we'll see how available he is for this game," Stein said. "All indications are that he will be available, but we'll continue to look at it."

Why he sat in Norman
Baxter is Kentucky's lead back, and he sat out last Saturday's 21-13 win at Oklahoma. He was listed questionable and warmed up with the team, but Stein held him out so he wouldn't re-aggravate the injury. "I just wanted to protect CJ from CJ," Stein said after the game, per 247Sports. ESPN's Pete Thamel later reported that a hamstring kept him out, the same injury that slowed him at Texas last season.

What Kentucky missed without him
Kentucky ran 26 times for just 72 yards against Oklahoma. Jason Patterson got more work and finished with 38 yards on 12 carries. Patterson has been efficient all season, ranking second in the SEC at 7.68 yards per carry entering the game, but the offense had less explosiveness without its lead back. Kenny Minchey's game plan leaned on short, careful passing, 21 of 28 for 158 yards, and the defense did the rest.

A week earlier, Baxter showed what he adds. In the 35-34 overtime win over then-No. 10 LSU, he ran 19 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including a 77-yard run and the 1-yard score in overtime that set up Minchey's winning two-point conversion. Kentucky rushed for 155 yards that night, more than double its total in Norman.

Even after missing a game, Baxter leads the Cats with 87 carries, 484 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, per KSR.

The availability timeline
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Stein says Baxter is "back working."
- Thursday, Oct. 22: The first SEC availability report for Vanderbilt lists Baxter as probable, the league's 75 percent tag. Outside linebacker Sam Greene is doubtful.
- Friday, Oct. 23: Baxter is off the report entirely. Thursday night's second report also removed nose tackle Kalen Edwards, so both are set to return after missing the Oklahoma game, and reserve linebacker Tavion Wallace is back after three games out, per On3/KSR.

The bad news on the report
Edge Sam Greene and receiver Nic Anderson, both starters who left the Oklahoma game hurt, were downgraded to out. Anderson led Kentucky with five catches for 48 yards in Norman before getting hurt. Cornerback Grant Grayton, linebacker Antwan Smith and nickel Jaden Smith are also out, and long snapper Cole Marszalek and defensive lineman Tyler Thomas are questionable. For Vanderbilt, backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz, who has started multiple games this season, is out. One final report comes an hour before kickoff.

How Baxter changes the matchup
With Anderson out, Kentucky's passing game loses its most productive receiver from last week, so the offense will likely lean more on the run. A healthy Baxter lets Stein go back to a two-back rotation, with Baxter as the lead back and Patterson as a change of pace, which should help Minchey on play-action. Expect Kentucky to manage Baxter's carries, especially early, given his hamstring history.

Our Take: "Back working" on a Wednesday is about as good as a coach's injury update gets during game week, and coming off the report by Friday confirms it. Stein isn't promising a full workload, and he shouldn't. But getting Kentucky's leading rusher back, at the same time Kentucky loses its top receiver, is about as well-timed as injury news gets.

Kickoff: Vanderbilt at Kentucky, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. MT) on SEC Network.

Sources: 247Sports, Stein's postgame update on Baxter · A Sea Of Blue, will Baxter play vs. Vanderbilt? · KSR, Baxter hamstring and season stats · On3, SEC availability report (Wednesday) · On3, SEC availability report (Thursday) · ESPN box score, Kentucky at Oklahoma · ESPN box score, LSU at Kentucky · On3, Patterson yards per carry (Oklahoma availability report) · 247Sports' Cole Parke on X