Seth McGowan is a 6 ‘0, 223-pound running back from the University of Kentucky. Seth is an incredible college football reclamation story. Beginning his journey at Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, Seth was one of the most sought-after running backs in the country, a consensus 4-star and top 15 back in the class of 2020. He would take his talents to the University of Oklahoma. Unfortunately, before his career took off at Oklahoma, Seth faced legal charges that landed him behind bars for a short period, leading to his being released from his scholarship. An uphill battle would begin in 2022 as Seth joined Texas College, where he would practice but never see a down. In 2023, Seth would catch his first break, transferring to Butler Community College, where he excelled and became one of the nation’s top JUCO transfers, finding his way to New Mexico State, where he would star for one year before finishing his career as the leading rusher for SEC Kentucky. The 6’0, 223-pound back would then enter the draft.
95% of Seth’s game is played between the ears; he has a unique, patient approach to every run, combining quick, decisive feet with tremendous vision and lane awareness. He sits back and eludes defenders in the backfield, waiting for lanes to materialize and hitting them as soon as he sees fit. Seth is very difficult to catch behind the line of scrimmage because of his excellent awareness and ability to manipulate the pocket by using linemen as screens. This patient approach is increasingly rare amongst college backs, and he wins yardage before the snap as his recognition of defenses is legitimately high-level.
Athletically, McGowan boasts an impressive profile. At 6’0, 223 lbs, he has prototypical height and weight for the position. On top of this, Seth turned heads at the combine, boasting the second-highest vertical ever recorded at the position and running a sub-4.5 40 time, answering any questions regarding long speed that may have remained after a season in which explosive plays were limited. He also possesses very quick, explosive feet that serve him best when navigating and cutting behind the line of scrimmage.
Despite being able to pick up quick yards using his head, McGowan struggles to land homerun plays. He tends to weasel into one lane and lacks shake or elite power to get him past a pile or make players miss in open space, despite his 4.49 speed. You nearly never see McGowan open up because of his inside-run style; these factors limit him to short-yardage back at the NFL level. He struggles to make defenders miss in open space and is not a true pile pusher.
McGowan shows excellent chops in pass protection, quickly identifying free rushers and using his strong frame to stonewall them. His ability as a third-down back, however, is limited by his frankly weak pass-catching ability. His routes develop slowly and with little artistry, subpar hands also limit his ability, dropping 5 passes on only 28 targets in 2025. Seth’s hands in general are a concern; on top of the dropped balls, he has accumulated 5 fumbles over the past two seasons, including 2 in 2025, a number that is not horrendous but cause for some concern.
All in all, McGowan’s prototypical testing numbers paired with his truly incredible intelligence and advanced pass blocking make him an intriguing prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, but a lack of overall juice, pass catching, and ball security issues will hurt the stock of the Mesquite native and push him into day three.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit:
New York Giants – John Harbaugh’s offenses notoriously run a heavy concentration of inside zone draws, allowing the back to survey the field before making initial drives. This is tailor-made for McGowan’s game.
NFL Player Comp: Omarion Hampton
Despite lacking the ceiling of a player like Hampton, McGowan shares a very similar run style, using his patience, vision, and good feet to create in the run game. The two backs also share a strikingly similar athletic testing and size profile that further strengthens the comparison. Both players are at their best in an inside-zone run scheme, where they can utilize their physical frames in a ground-and-pound offense. The two backs also add value to their games with strong blitz pickup, giving them third-down value. Despite their many similarities, it should be noted that McGowan lacks the receiving ability that Hampton displays, as well as the big gains where Hampton displays his athletic abilities at a much higher level. Even if on paper it is similar, McGowan must find a way to better utilize these traits if he wants to end up like Hampton, making this a high-end comparison.
Projection: Role Player/Backup
His tools give him a clear role within an NFL franchise but also limit his abilities as an every down back.
Grade and Round Projection: 3.25, 4th-6th round
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