ORLANDO – For the second consecutive year, UCF running back RJ Harvey has been named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best collegiate running back.
The Orlando native becomes the first player in program history to garner the recognition twice or in consecutive years and is one of just three players nationally to be a semifinalist in 2023 and 2024.
Harvey leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks third nationally with 1,328 rushing yards this season. His 19 rushing touchdowns are the fifth most among FBS players and best among conference running backs. Harvey’s 21 total touchdowns (19 rushing, 2 receiving) are the most in the Big 12 and second nationally behind fellow semifinalist Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (27).
The UCF standout is the first player since Marquette Smith (1994-95) and just the second in program history to record consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons after rushing for 1,416 in 2023.
Harvey has scored 128 points this season to top the Big 12 and rank second nationally behind Jeanty, averaging 12.8 points per game, which is third in the nation. He averages 132.8 rushing yards per game to lead the league and rank third in the country.
Harvey leads the nation with 44 rushes of 10 or more yards and has seven games with 100 or more rushing yards.
In his last four games, Harvey has rushed for 634 yards with 10 rushing TDs.
He owns 3,543 career rushing yards to rank second in the UCF record books behind Knights Hall of Famer Kevin Smith with 4,679.
Harvey’s 40 career rushing TDs is the second most in program history behind Smith’s 45. His 43 total touchdowns scored is third most at UCF and just three shy of Smith’s record 46.
He was named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in UCF’s 35-34 win against TCU, when he rushed for 180 yards on 29 carries with two rushing touchdowns and 209 all-purpose yards with a receiving TD in the game.
Harvey is the seventh running back under UCF head coach Gus Malzahn to be named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award and the first to earn the honor twice.
Headlined by four players from the Big 12 Conference and two Atlantic Coast Conference selections, the list of honored players includes three repeat semifinalists. The 10 semifinalists represent five Division I FBS conferences.
Harvey is joined by Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, K-State’s DJ Giddens, Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, SMU’s Brashard Smith and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson.
Three finalists for the 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced a week from today (Nov. 26) and the winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12. The formal presentation of the award will take place at the annual banquet scheduled for Jan. 31, 2025.
Harvey is just the second UCF player to be named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, as Smith was tabbed a semifinalist in 2007.
The award is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.