Twenty years of running success for the Knights

Welcome back, Knight nerds!  Glad to have you here. UCF is off to a roaring start with a 2-0 record as they head into their first conference contest of the season against the Horned Frogs (which, fun fact, are actually lizards and not frogs at all) of TCU. UCF travels to Fort Worth with their star running back, RJ Harvey. Is he the best running back in the conference? In the country? He just might be if he keeps racking up yards and touchdowns like he has so far. Could RJ be the best running back in UCF history? Perhaps. Thinking about RJ and all his potential this season got me nostalgic, so I decided to look back at some of the prior running backs that UCF has lined up in their backfield. Since this is 2024, and I started school at UCF in 2004 (!!!), I figured a 20-year look-back was the perfect time to recall some names from the past.

Before we get started, a few housekeeping comments:

First, this is NOT a comprehensive list of all the backs who have carried the rock for UCF over the last 20 years. That list would be significantly longer. I’m simply recalling some of the athletes from our past who I remember wearing the black and gold. So, please, no comments about “you forgot person X!” I’m not forgetting anyone; I just didn’t select them in my look-back. This is MY column, not yours. 😉

Next, I may not touch on or cover all seasons that a player played. I’m recalling and highlighting what I consider to be interesting or impressive seasons.

Lastly, this list is NOT in any specific ranking order. I’m not saying one running back is better or worse than another. It’s designed (somewhat) chronologically to reflect on players during the year(s) they played for UCF.

That being said, let’s dive in and have a little fun!

2004: Alex Haynes

First on our list is Alex Haynes. Haynes played running back during a tumultuous time for UCF. He witnessed a huge shakeup of coaches when George O’Leary took over the program at the start of the 2004 season. Prior to that, he played most of his career in a spread passing style offense. Despite this, Haynes still managed to put up some impressive numbers. In 2004, a season that wasn’t kind to the Knights, Haynes still managed an impressive 854 yards on the ground, along with five touchdowns. After his UCF career was over, he played in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers. Adam and Mike interviewed Alex and had a great conversation, not too long ago. Check it out below.

2005-2007: Kevin Smith

Next up, we have none other than “24K” himself. Kevin Smith is a name almost every UCF fan knows (or should). He was the first running back who I can recall getting real media attention for his performances. He had his first season rushing for over a thousand yards in 2005. It took a few years to get noticed by the powers that be in college football, but he did in his final season before being drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He impressed in both 2005 and 2006, but in 2007, he had a breakout year where he crushed the competition, putting up 2,567 yards and an impressive 29 touchdowns. Kevin helped the Knights win their first conference championship in 2007. He was named the CUSA Championship MVP in that game and still ranks in the top three players with the most rushing yards in a single season in the NCAA. 

2008: Brynn Harvey

Taking over the RB1 spot upon Kevin Smith’s departure to the NFL was no easy task, especially in a year where the Knights struggled to find traction on offense and only managed to win 4 games the entire season. In 2008, Brynn Harvey rushed for 519 yards and a single touchdown. While these aren’t the most impressive numbers, when you consider the tough season UCF had AND that he split touches with both Ronnie Weaver Jr. and Latavius Murray (another name we’ll get to), he did just fine. In 2009, however, Harvey really turned it on and rushed for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns—a huge leap from the prior year!

2010: Jeff Godfrey (QB)

Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking. Jeff Godfrey never played running back for the Knights. I know. In fact, he played both quarterback and wide receiver for UCF during his time. But in 2010, as a true freshman playing quarterback, Godfrey still managed an impressive nine rushing touchdowns on the ground. The reason I included him on here with the running backs was that he was a magical player to watch that season, capable of both throwing and RUNNING the ball. This was something we as fans hadn’t seen from a UCF offense in a long time. In the 2010 season, he managed nearly as many rushing touchdowns as the team’s “real” running backs, Ronnie Weaver Jr. and Latavius Murray, who each had 11 touchdowns. I still have fond memories of watching him scamper with the ball. He was fast and elusive. George O’Leary teams weren’t known for their offensive firepower, so his play on the ground was doubly impressive. It was something we wouldn’t see again from a quarterback until the likes of McKenzie Milton and John Rhys Plumlee. 

2012: Latavius Murray

In 2012, Latavius “Tay Train” Murray led the UCF running back room with 1,106 yards and 15 touchdowns. Latavius was a big, powerful runner. He was selected to the 2012 All-Conference USA First Team and was the first player in UCF history to have a rushing touchdown in nine straight games. He went on to be drafted in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. He ultimately played reliably for six different NFL teams (twice with the New Orleans Saints), culminating with a final season in 2023 with the Buffalo Bills. 

2013: Storm Johnson

In a time not so long ago, before the transfer portal was as easily accessible as it is today, Storm Johnson was a big-time transfer pick-up for the Knights. Storm transferred into the UCF program in 2011 from the Miami Hurricanes, where he sat out a year due to the transfer rules. Again, it was a different time in college athletics. In 2013, he helped the Knights win the inaugural American Athletic Conference championship and earn a berth to the Knights’ first BCS Bowl game. He rushed for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2013 and still has the most appropriate name for a running back, ever. He was selected to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team as well. Storm was patient in the box and could find holes in the defense. He also had the power to run you over if you got in his way. Drafted in the 2014 NFL draft, he played professionally in the NFL and the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.

2014: William Stanback

William Stanback didn’t have the longest or most impressive record for the Knights, but in 2014, he ran for a very respectable 697 yards and 10 touchdowns. While these stats might not be game-changing in UCF football history, Stanback delivered one of the most memorable hits in recent years. In the 2014 conference matchup against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Stanback rocked a defender with a hit that is still sending shockwaves across the solar system (maybe there’s a UCF space reference there…). After wrapping up his college career, he went on to play very well in the Canadian Football League. Check out that unforgettable hit here.

2017: Adrian Killins Jr.

The “Fastest Man in College Sports” was brought in to play for the Knights by new head coach Scott Frost in 2016. In 2017, Adrian Killins Jr. rushed for nearly 800 yards on the ground and posted 10 touchdowns. He’s remembered for taunting the Auburn Tigers of the SEC before the 2017 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, claiming they had not seen “speed” like the Knights had to offer. He helped the team win their second major bowl victory that year after clinching the American Athletic Conference Football Championship. Besides just carrying the rock, “AK” was dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield or running a sweep. If he managed to get free in open space, it was all but over. “Cheese and Bread!” 

2018: Greg McCrae

Greg McCrae wasn’t the biggest or fastest running back on the field, but he certainly had the most heart. Plus, he could find the holes the offensive line would open for him. Patient in the pocket until just the right moment, and he was through. In 2018, as a sophomore, Greg showed out with 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns—all while sharing the team’s carries with both Adrian Killins Jr. and Taj McGowan! Greg is currently UCF’s career record holder with a yards-per-carry average that exceeds six yards per play. Honorable mention to Greg’s co-running back in 2018, Taj McGowan, who was the running back during the famous Josh Heupel “Go Bone” play against Memphis, where the Knights went for it on 4th and 1 from UCF’s own 29-yard line. The Knights were down by two scores late in the 3rd quarter when that play happened, completely changing the momentum of the game.

2019: Otis Anderson Jr.

Otis Anderson Jr. was known as UCF’s “utility knife.” He could do it ALL—run the ball, catch the ball, return kickoffs and punts, and even block. He was the heart of the offense for many years as a Knight. In 2019, Otis put up 726 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. He led the American Athletic Conference and ranked SIXTH in the NCAA with a 13.2-yard punt return average. His all-purpose yards, in addition to running and punt returns, included 365 yards through the air. He is second behind Greg McCrae in the UCF record books with a yards-per-carry average of 6.1. After his college career at UCF, Otis signed with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was part of their offseason and practice squad. Sadly, Otis passed away in a domestic disturbance in November of 2021. Deuces forever, Otis. 

2022: Isaiah Bowser

Isaiah Bowser was a tank that ran on human feet. He was a bowling ball, and once he got started, he was tough to bring down. Originally playing in the Big Ten Conference, Isaiah transferred from Northwestern University. He saw his most action as a Knight in 2022, where he, as a team captain, ran for 799 yards and an impressive 16 touchdowns. If we were inside the 5-yard line, it was almost a given that Isaiah was getting the ball, usually via direct snap! Wild Knight for the win!

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDMG4mXiLa8

2023 & 2024: RJ Harvey

That brings us to the present, and what a present RJ Harvey has been for the Knights. Transferring from the University of Virginia, where he was originally recruited to play quarterback, RJ has been an absolute unit at running back for UCF. Despite an injury that sidelined him when he first arrived in Orlando, RJ has been UCF’s go-to back for 2023 and into 2024. In 2023, RJ posted 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns. His mix of vision, speed, and power makes him an ideal weapon for a Gus Malzahn-led offense. In 2024, in just two games alone, while splitting carries with several other running backs, RJ has already accounted for 268 yards and six touchdowns. He’s just getting warmed up! Hopefully, RJ can stay healthy and power his way into the record books in 2024. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some of the other outstanding running backs currently playing alongside RJ Harvey on this 2024 Knights squad. Johnny Richardson, Myles Montgomery, and Peny Boone all join RJ Harvey to provide a potent rotation of experience and explosiveness from the backfield. I would absolutely hate to be a defense tasked with trying to stop this four-headed monster on Saturdays.

I hope you enjoyed this quick little look back on some of the stars we’ve seen carry the UCF pigskin.  It’s always fun to look back and see where we were and where we’re going.  Hopefully, the Knights and their core of running backs can secure a win on Saturday. I’ll speak to you all soon!

Charge On!