From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on UCF RB RJ Harvey.
#7 RJ Harvey/RB Central Florida – 5’9, 208 pounds. (Fifth-Year Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| RJ Harvey | 5’9/208 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Pro Day Measurements/Numbers
The Good
– 51st percentile weight which shows up on his film where he bounces off of tacklers
– Exploded the last two years production wise having 3,498 scrimmage yards and 42 total touchdowns
– Shows to be shifty by his ability to cut on a dime
– Flashes homerun speed ability to break off long gains and not get caught from behind
– Good ability in the receiving game to add value as a third down back in the NFL
– Presses blocks at a high level before exploding by the defenders
– Former quarterback who has been worked into the Wildcat at UCF and can open up the playbook at the next level for an offensive coordinator
The Bad
– Assumed to be around 23 or 24 years old which is not good for a position with such a short lifespan
– Six fumbles over the last two years poses a scare for most teams
– Not quite there as a pass protector compared to other backs
– A torn ACL on his resume in 2021 for a position that relies heavily on being explosive and hard cuts
– At times tries to be overly patient behind the line of scrimmage which can result in a tackle for loss instead of a one to two yard gain
– 29th percentile height for the running back position
Bio
– Unknown age (expected to be about 23 turning 24 in February)
– 41 games played for UCF from 2020 to 2024
– 640 offensive touches, 4,512 scrimmage yards, 47 scrimmage touchdowns, and 6.5 yards per carry in his college career
– 252 offensive touches, 1,844 scrimmage yards, 25 scrimmage touchdowns, and 6.8 yards per carry in 2024
– 2021 torn ACL, missed the entire season
– Three-star QB in his 2019 high school class from Orlando, FL
– Played quarterback in high school where he had 1,787 passing yards and 1,376 rushing yards. Paired with 23 passing touchdowns and 25 rushing scores.
– Originally committed to the University of Virginia where he never played a game and would redshirt before transferring
– Graduated college in May 2023 after majoring in interdisciplinary studies in College of Undergraduate Studies. Also is pursuing second degree in pre-management in College of Business Administration
– Most touchdowns from scrimmage in UCF history (47) and second in scrimmage yards (4,512) despite having 320 less total touches than first place Kevin Smith
Tape Breakdown
RJ Harvey shows a great trait of being patient behind the line of scrimmage and attempting to find the best lane possible. Along with that patience, he also shows great explosiveness and agility to make defenders miss which allows him to gain extra yards.
Here, he is met in the backfield with a defender who is in a breakdown position ready to make the tackle. Harvey makes that defender miss with a simple, yet effective, jump cut into the C-gap. The defender goes on to miss his tackle attempt on Harvey despite getting a hand on his ankle. Harvey is then met by another three Iowa State defenders. Two of which have him almost sandwiched and the other coming-in on his left side coming off a block. Harvey attacks this by just making a smooth and quick cut to his right and turning on the burners for a massive gain by showing off that home-run speed.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 18, 2025
That elusiveness and explosiveness translates from behind the line of scrimmage to the open field as well. As stated in his strengths, Harvey shows true value as a receiving back. He is able to turn a small 5-yard dump-off into about a 22-yard gain by making four defenders miss. His elusiveness is the main reason for this but that should not overshadow his stiff-arm that he released onto Colorado’s cornerback, Colton Hood. A great example of who Harvey is as a player and how he can mix power with agility.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 18, 2025
This play is not anything flashy from Harvey. However, it is a perfect example of his explosiveness and straight-line speed. This is someone who reportedly ran a 4.41 40-yard-dash time coming out of high school. After his torn ACL in 2021, it is reasonable to wonder if he still has that explosiveness and speed. But from a multitude of clips like this one, Harvey shows to still be able to pull away from defenders at a high level.
If you need a big play at any moment of the game, Harvey has proven he can be the guy that provides that spark. Up to this point, UCF was struggling. They threw an interception to Colorado who turned that into a Travis Hunter receiving touchdown on the following drive. As they found themselves down 7-0, Harvey finds himself open on the first play of the drive on a wheel route where quarterback KJ Jefferson fakes a QB run. Harvey is able to catch the ball in-stride and outrun Hunter for the 75-yard score. Big time players make plays in big time moments and this gave UCF hope in a tough game.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 18, 2025
A negative towards Harvey’s game that is hard to overlook is his fumbling issue. Over the last two seasons, Harvey has had six fumbles to which four were recovered by the opposing team. In the following clips, you can see how these usually occur. His ability to run hard and bounce off tackles like a bowling ball is great, until it results in him doing too much which then ends in a turnover in the stat sheet for him.
Specifically the Georgia Tech game, this is a game that at the time of his fumble, UCF was leading by 14 points. Georgia Tech would recover Harvey’s fumble and score their first points on the following drive. UCF would end up losing this game 30-17.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) January 18, 2025
Conclusion
Though RJ Harvey is not to the caliber Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is, Harvey can serve as a great backup for any team and has the potential to start for multiple organizations who lack an explosive, versatile back. His torn ACL in 2021 will be negatively looked at and for good reason. However, he has shown that that injury is not holding him back. In 2023 and 2024, he averaged 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage in each year. He lacks the ideal size by falling in the 29th percentile for height and 51st percentile for weight but that does not affect his play style as he seems to almost invite contact. He has shown the ability to bounce off defenders as well as using a stiff-arm to his advantage when he sees fit.
Even if a team doesn’t value Harvey as a starting back, he has shown a great receiving ability that will earn him snaps as a third-down back. Mainly shown in the game against Colorado, he can turn short gains into long ones or just take the top off a defense with a simple wheel route. His versatility is going to be sought after and once that is good enough to get him drafted on day two, he will have the opportunity to show why he deserves an actual starting spot.
Harvey has his downsides like his fumbling issue, assumed age of turning 24 soon and below-average height which will drop his draft stock but he can flourish in the right situation.
Projection: Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.9 – Third Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: Iowa State (2024), Arizona (2024), Colorado (2024), Georgia Tech (2023)
