The Colts found Seth McGowan in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the pick carried the feel of a player whose path has been shaped by movement, patience, and production. The Kentucky running back arrived in Indianapolis after a season that made him impossible to overlook in the later rounds.
Why did the Colts choose Seth McGowan?
Indianapolis selected McGowan with the No. 237 overall pick after going back to Lexington for the second time on Saturday. The move came after the Colts had already taken Kentucky guard Jalen Farmer in the fourth round, making Kentucky a familiar source for the team during the draft.
For Seth McGowan, the selection marked another step in a career that has already crossed several stops. He is a 24-year-old Dallas area native who attended Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas. His journey reached Kentucky after time at Oklahoma, Texas College, Butler Community College, and New Mexico State.
What does Seth McGowan bring from Kentucky?
In 2025, McGowan rushed for 725 yards and 12 touchdowns for Kentucky. At 6-foot and 223 pounds, he gave the Wildcats a physical presence at running back and finished the season with a stat line that showed both volume and scoring ability.
The numbers add context to why the Colts were willing to use a seventh-round pick on him. Seth McGowan had already shown he could produce at different stages of his college path, including 2024 at New Mexico State, where he rushed 152 times for 823 yards with six total touchdowns and earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors.
How did his path shape the moment?
McGowan began his college career in 2020 at Oklahoma, where he rushed 58 times for 370 yards with four total touchdowns as a freshman. He later spent time away from the FBS level before rejoining it at New Mexico State in 2024, then moved on to Kentucky after that season.
That route matters because it places his draft selection in a broader human frame. Seth McGowan was not a one-stop prospect with a straight line to the league. He moved through programs, adapted, and kept producing when the opportunities returned. For the Colts, that background may be part of the appeal: a player who has already had to answer different questions at different levels.
What comes next for the Colts and Seth McGowan?
The draft choice gives Indianapolis another running back option to evaluate as the team shapes its roster. The selection also adds another Kentucky name to a Colts draft class that included Farmer earlier in the day, creating a clear link between the program in Lexington and the work being done in Indianapolis.
McGowan’s college path, from Oklahoma to New Mexico State to Kentucky, suggests a player who kept finding ways back onto the field. In a draft where later rounds often hinge on fit and timing, that persistence may be part of what the Colts saw in Seth McGowan.
On a Saturday that began with a college box score and ended with a draft call, the same runner who broke tackles in Lexington will now try to make that movement matter on a larger stage. For the Colts, Seth McGowan is no longer a name from a late round; he is a chance to see whether a long road can still lead to a role.
