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RJ Harvey's Loyalty to UCF May Have Boosted His Draft Chances

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Justice Covert | Last updated May 25, 2025 2:46 PM ET

Whether intentional or not, nearly every one of the Denver Broncos' picks in the 2025 NFL draft had one trait in common — loyalty.

When you look across the college football landscape, finding any player who hasn't taken advantage of name, image and likeness (NIL) and/or the transfer portal is tough. According to On3, 3,310 players entered the portal in 2024-25, which was 621 more than in 2023-24.

It's a common theme except for the latest batch of Broncos rookies. Among the seven selections the Broncos made in April's draft, the first six played at least 41 games at one school. Three of them hit the 50 mark at their respective programs, with first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron leading the way with his 57 games played at Texas.

"It's not by accident," Broncos coach Sean Payton said to ESPN's Jeff Legwold. "There might be some coincidence in there, but in the overview, it's not by accident. Not at all."

Second-round running back RJ Harvey, UCF's all-time leader in touchdowns, fits right into this category. Harvey played in 41 games with the Knights from 2020-2024, ranks second all-time in rushing yards (3,792) and rushing touchdowns (43) and is third in rushing attempts (579).

Harvey's selection at 60th overall also made him the highest-drafted running back in UCF's history, passing Kevin Smith, who was picked 64th overall by the Detroit Lions in 2008.

The highest drafted RB in UCF history!@rjharvey07 x @Broncos pic.twitter.com/KonODY5ExH
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) April 26, 2025

While Harvey doesn't technically fit in the "non-transfer" category since he spent his 2019 true freshman campaign as a quarterback with the Virginia Cavaliers, he didn't play in any games with them. He earned a redshirt before returning to his hometown of Orlando, Florida.

"I told people who asked me, including (the Broncos), for me it was about the right situation," Harvey said to Legwold. "I went from Virginia, but I didn't play any games at Virginia at quarterback."

"I got to UCF and went to running back. I made the right move for school and for position for me and my family, and it was a blessing to stay," Harvey said to Legwold.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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