ORLANDO — RJ Harvey's first trip to Las Vegas was a memorable whirlwind in the midst of a record-setting heat wave.
Joined by UCF teammates KJ Jefferson, Kobe Hudson, Lee Hunter and Deshawn Pace in attending Big 12 media days, Harvey enjoyed seeing the famous Strip emerge from a backdrop of sand and mountains from his seat on a private jet.
Between packing in dozens of interview with local and national media outlets, the 5-foot-9, 205-pound fifth-year senior running back met captains and coaches from across the league, got a sneak peek at EA Sports' highly anticipated College Football 25 video game and crossed paths with NBA All-Stars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — in town for a Summer Olympics contest between the U.S. and Canada — at the team's hotel.
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The talking is largely, finally out of the way. Fall camp gets underway in two weeks with the Knights aiming to prove doubters wrong and exceed the eighth-place expectations placed upon them in the league's preseason media poll.
In order to do that, Harvey will need to produce another stellar season. Last year, he finished as the sixth-leading rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 1,416 yards and scored the second-most rushing touchdowns (16) in a single season in UCF history.
The News-Journal caught up with Harvey this past weekend during his inaugural youth football camp at Edgewater High School for a one-on-one Q&A about his top-100 ranking in EA Sports College Football 25, picking the brains of a pair of Pro Bowlers and whether the Knights can challenge for the Big 12 championship.
Head coach Gus Malzahn mentioned during media day that your team plays just two common opponents, adding your Big 12 schedule is "almost like a completely new conference." How do you feel about where your team stands going into Year 2 from a preparation standpoint?
Harvey: This is basically Year 1 again. We only play (Cincinnati) and West Virginia from last year. It's like we're in a totally different conference. We play all the new Pac-12 teams that came in. And we're still new to the league, too. So we're trying to prove to everybody that we belong and that last year wasn't meant to be. We're just trying to win every game this year.
KJ Jefferson was asked about his motivation and competitive edge, citing the photo in his locker room of Skip Bayless calling Colorado's Shedeur Sanders "the best QB in the country." What are you using as fuel to drive you this coming season?
Harvey: My teammates. They push me hard. (Director of Football Strength and Conditioning Anthony) Kincy's got us competing in workouts each and every day, even if it's speed drills or conditioning drills. We're just going at it.
They don't talk about UCF a lot in the media, so that drives everybody. We want to prove to everybody that we're going to be way better than last year.
Pro Football Focus listed UCF's running back room among the best in the nation. What might people not know about your group, and how can the group improve from adding Peny Boone in the spring portal window?
Harvey: This year, we are very versatile. We have a running back for any situation. If I come out the game, there shouldn't be a dropoff. We all push each other and work hard. I'm the veteran in our room, so whatever those guys need help with, I'm always there for them. They know they can ask me anything. I want to see them succeed the same way they want to see me succeed.
Peny came in wanting to work hard, trying to gain everybody's trust. I wanted him to come to UCF. He's going to make me better. Every time I see him make a big run in practice, that's only going to make me want to be better than him. It's going to be fun competition in practice, and we're going to dominate the field on Saturdays.
In EA Sports College Football 25, you're among the top-100 players at a 91 overall rating. Any complaints with the developers, or are you happy with yourself in the game?
Harvey: I was happy with it. The only thing that caught me off guard was the 74 (rating) in strength. But I saw someone on Twitter say no running back got over a 90. I guess that's just how they do it. But I feel like I deserve at least an 80.
Alright, state your case. What are your numbers in the weight room?
Harvey: We don't max out at UCF, but my squat for sure is above 550 (pounds). Bench, I'm definitely 405 or more.
What were your impressions playing EA Sports College Football 25 for the first time as far as gameplay and UCF's presentation?
Harvey: It's very fun. To me, it's way better than Madden. The Bounce House is similar to the real Bounce House. Everybody's going to be shocked with how realistic it is. KJ is a dog in the game, I'm a dog, Peny's a dog, X (Xavier Townsend), Chauncey (Magwood), Kobe (Hudson), all them.
Like I said at media day, it's a huge blessing. I always dreamed of being in a video game. Fast forward 10 years later, I'm in NCAA. I've only got one year being in this game so I want to make the most of my opportunity. Hopefully my overall rating goes up by the time the season's over. I just want everyone to know who I am.
Last month, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley worked out inside UCF's stadium and you were able to meet them. What questions did you ask of them, and how have you applied any sort of advice to your own routine?
Harvey: It was a great opportunity to watch those guys work out and see what they do to become a better play. I talked to Saquon, and he told me how he takes care of his body and the things that he does to separate himself from the other running backs in the league. It was great seeing him in person, seeing how big he is. He's big, but not much bigger than me. A little bit taller than me.
Right now, every chance I get, I'm in the trainers' room trying to take care of my body. Even if my body doesn't hurt, I'm still getting the treatment I need. I don't want any nagging injuries this season, no hamstrings or hip pointers. I hurt my hamstring during the later part of the (2023) season. During that Texas Tech game, it was bothering me a lot so I couldn't really move how I wanted to.
What are some aspects of the running back position you are seeking to fine-tune entering your final season at UCF?
Harvey: Pass protection, that's a big one of course. I need to continue to get better at that and being more physical at the point of attack. Other than that, open-field moves, being able to make defenders miss. I did a good job of that last year, but want to improve on that. And protecting the football. If I didn't have those three fumbles last year, I could have maybe got to 1,500, 1,600 yards. You never know.
After working with him all spring, what can this offense look like with KJ Jefferson at the controls?
Harvey: KJ brings a lot of experience. He dominated in the SEC, where he didn't have a lot of help and Arkansas was going against Alabama, Georgia, all those top SEC programs. Now coming in here at UCF, he has weapons everywhere. He should dominate this conference. I'm really excited to see what he's going to do. He always has a positive mindset. He's a leader. Off the field, he's a great person to be around and hang around. He's a funny guy.
UCF was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12, with Hunter and Hudson selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. What was your reaction to those predictions and the all-conference team?
Harvey: I was happy for Kobe and Lee. They worked extremely hard to earn that first-team voting. I work hard too. I wasn't really shocked (about not being selected). The whole offseason, they were really trying me — every outlet that was doing rankings. I'm just going to prove to them this year that I belong on the first team. That's that.
Who is one UCF player that impressed you during spring ball, and another that has impressed you during summer workouts?
Harvey: In the spring, on defense, I would say Deshawn Pace and (Ladarius) Tennison. During one scrimmage, I was only in for one play, a trick play. I was going in motion out the backfield, the quarterback was going to toss it to me on a swing route and I was going to throw it to a receiver down the field. But I had no time because Tennison came down so fast, and he smacked me. He got me good. Pace is a dog, too. He can play anywhere on defense if he wants to. You're going to see big things from this defense. It's not the same defense as last year.
On offense, Xavier (Townsend) and Big Paul (Rubelt). He's been coming along. He's going to do great things this season.
Everybody takes the summer workouts hard, but BJ (Brandon Adams) is going to have a great year.
Working with the kids at your alma mater, Edgewater, what are the main points of emphasis you hope to pass along as a coach?
Harvey: I just want them to come out here and have fun, and to leave here learning something new that they didn't know before. Hopefully I can make them a better player. I didn't do a lot of camps growing up, but I'm going to start doing these more often.
It's huge to make sure I have a presence around here. I want the kids to have someone to look up to, to know that I'm going to be around Orlando probably forever. And I want to be a positive role model in their lives. You never know what a kid's going through, so being somebody they can talk to and being there for them.
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