RJ Harvey is giving Denver something it has needed early this season: a back who can change a play in a flash. The former UCF star has become a bright spot in a Broncos offense that has been sluggish, and his work as a receiver is pushing him into rare air.
Through only three games, Harvey has already piled up 20 catches, including a 10-reception outing against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday evening. That total leads the Broncos, with Jaylen Waddle the only other Denver player in double figures at 16.
The bigger story is what Harvey is doing once the ball is in his hands. His 193 yards after the catch lead the entire NFL, and he is the only running back in the top five. Against San Francisco, he added 25 rushing yards and finished a perfect 10-for-10 on targets for 68 receiving yards.
That performance also cracked Denver’s record book. Harvey’s 10 catches were the third-most by a Broncos running back in a single game in franchise history.
One sequence midway through the fourth quarter summed him up. Harvey drifted into the left flat, secured a pass for five yards, then slipped through contact as four 49ers defenders closed in. He broke a tackle, escaped the swarm, and turned a routine checkdown into an 18-yard gain.
That kind of elusiveness is exactly what made Harvey stand out at UCF, and it has already earned him meaningful reps in Sean Payton’s offense. Even with the rushing numbers still quiet over his first three games, Harvey’s value as a pass-catcher gives Denver a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.
His production through the air is also rewriting the Broncos’ record book. With 67 catches through his first 20 NFL games, Harvey now stands alone at the top of the franchise rankings, passing Hall-of-Fame tailback Terrell Davis.
Denver heads into Sunday’s game at the 0-4 Los Angeles Chargers after a rough four-game stretch. The Chargers have struggled overall on defense, though they have been steadier against running backs in the passing game.
Harvey, who scored 12 touchdowns as a rookie, will have a chance to hunt for his first score of his second NFL season when the Broncos kick off at 4:05 p.m. Sunday.
In Other News...
UCF Heads Into Another Ranked Test With Its Biggest Weakness Exposed
UCF is heading into another difficult stretch with little time to reset, and the task only gets harder on the road against No. 18 Oklahoma State. It is the second straight ranked opponent in a three-game run, and the Knights are trying to steady a defense that has already been stretched by injuries while also finding a way to snap an 11-game road losing streak.
The matchup brings more than just ranking pressure, too, because Oklahoma State has one of the countrys most dynamic quarterbacks in Drew Mestemaker, a projected NFL draft pick who can hurt defenses with both his arm and his legs. For UCF, the bigger question is whether the group can hold up long enough to stay in the game, especially with key contributors nursing injuries and the margin for error shrinking by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Faces Mounting Pressure As UCF Hits A Pivotal Stretch
With the season tightening and every week carrying more weight, Scott Frost finds himself in a familiar kind of pressure cooker at UCF. The Knights have had to work through injuries and defensive issues while trying to steady themselves in a stretch where performance matters almost as much as the scoreboard, and that has made the conversation around the program feel a little sharper than it did even a few weeks ago.
Quarterback uncertainty has only added to the tension, with Alonza Barnett III sidelined by a hamstring injury and backup Keyone Jenkins also battling cramps and minor injuries. Frosts job security may not be the point, at least not yet, but the next few games will say plenty about whether UCF can settle down or whether the pressure around the program keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
UCF May Have A Future QB Decision Building Faster Than Expected
Freshman quarterback Rocco Marriott is spending this season redshirting at UCF, learning behind senior quarterbacks Alonza Barnett III and Keyone Jenkins while the staff continues to treat his long-term growth as part of the plan. Even without immediate game-day pressure, the Knights are investing real practice time in him, and that matters in a quarterback room where future answers often start showing up long before they are needed.
Marriott has already given the staff a small glimpse of what he can add, and the development path looks intentional rather than accidental. UCF is prioritizing his progression as a potential future starter, which makes his rise worth tracking even with two veterans ahead of him right now. If the early signs keep building, the Knights may have a quarterback decision coming together sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]