Scouting report
McGowan is in the middle of a remarkable redemption story. A former four-star recruit who immediately saw playing time at Oklahoma, his path took a dramatic turn after he was arrested, pleaded guilty to theft and served three months in jail, followed by a year of probation. McGowan was released from the Sooners program and began a winding journey that took him from Texas College, an NAIA school, to Butler Community College, then to New Mexico State and finally to Kentucky, where he battled through multiple injuries to start all 11 games in 2025.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, McGowan has the frame of a legitimate NFL back with difference-making athleticism. He brings pro-level explosiveness in short areas along with long speed, plus light feet and quick mental processing in space to make sharp cuts behind man-gap concepts. While he isn’t the biggest back, his build, combined with an impressive speed-to-power conversion, allows him to generate strong yards after contact.
He has the tools to be reliable in pass protection, even if he had a few costly misses in 2025. McGowan has also seen steady work as a receiver, but isn’t as dynamic at that stage of his game. Ball security remains an area for improvement after six fumbles over the past two seasons.
Player Properties
- Vision: 8/10
- Spatial insight, IQ, patience: 8/10
- Big game speed: 8/10
- Balance, playing through contact: 6/10
- Mentality, struggle, effort: 8/10
- Change of direction, flexibility: 6/10
- Elusiveness, footwork: 8/10
- Received: 5/10
- Tackle-breaking ability: 6/10
- Pass protection: 6/10
Strengths
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