Top returners
RJ Harvey (R-SR), 5-8/195: 118 carries 796 yards 5 TDs in 2023
Johnny Richardson (SR), 5-7/170: 54 carries 370 yards in 2023
Top newcomer
Demarkcus Bowman (RS-JR), 5-10/190 (At Clemson in 2020, Florida in 2021)
-Under Gus Malzhan, UCF has been 55% run/45% pass (in 2021) and 57% run/43% pass respectively
-The Knights averaged 34 carries/g in 2021, 44 carries/g in 2022.
-UCF lost veteran RB Isaiah Bowser to graduation, led team in carries (205) and TD's (16) last season.
Harvey seems first in line to come into a larger workload this upcoming season. The veteran back averaged 6.0 yards/carry or higher in 8 of his 12 games played last season. However, he only carried the ball 15+ times in three contests in 2022. Bowman is the wild-card/breakout candidate in this room. He played sparingly at his last two schools, but he flashed his speed/strength/agility in a big way during the Spring Game. Richardson will serve as the versatile 'swiss-army-knife' of the RB room (241 career touches, 1,972 career all-purpose yards, 8.2 yards/touch). If I were on the staff, I would be trying to get the ball in Richardson's hands in as many different ways as possible (run game, pass game, screens, end-arounds, special teams, etc.). And I think second-year back Jordan McDonald will mix more into the fold this season. As the larger bruiser in the RB room (6-1/220), McDonald should get some of those goal-line opportunities that went exclusively to Bowser from '21-'22.
Thoughts?
RJ Harvey (R-SR), 5-8/195: 118 carries 796 yards 5 TDs in 2023
Johnny Richardson (SR), 5-7/170: 54 carries 370 yards in 2023
Top newcomer
Demarkcus Bowman (RS-JR), 5-10/190 (At Clemson in 2020, Florida in 2021)
-Under Gus Malzhan, UCF has been 55% run/45% pass (in 2021) and 57% run/43% pass respectively
-The Knights averaged 34 carries/g in 2021, 44 carries/g in 2022.
-UCF lost veteran RB Isaiah Bowser to graduation, led team in carries (205) and TD's (16) last season.
Harvey seems first in line to come into a larger workload this upcoming season. The veteran back averaged 6.0 yards/carry or higher in 8 of his 12 games played last season. However, he only carried the ball 15+ times in three contests in 2022. Bowman is the wild-card/breakout candidate in this room. He played sparingly at his last two schools, but he flashed his speed/strength/agility in a big way during the Spring Game. Richardson will serve as the versatile 'swiss-army-knife' of the RB room (241 career touches, 1,972 career all-purpose yards, 8.2 yards/touch). If I were on the staff, I would be trying to get the ball in Richardson's hands in as many different ways as possible (run game, pass game, screens, end-arounds, special teams, etc.). And I think second-year back Jordan McDonald will mix more into the fold this season. As the larger bruiser in the RB room (6-1/220), McDonald should get some of those goal-line opportunities that went exclusively to Bowser from '21-'22.
Thoughts?