General

UCF’s 2023-24 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Nominees

The 2023-24 Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominees will be featured in alphabetical order by school starting Monday, June 17 through Tuesday, June 25 at 10 a.m. CT and 2 p.m. CT.
 
Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete of any classification that competed for their institution during the 2023-24 school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and had to be from a league-sponsored sport.
 
The 14 schools that competed during the 2023-24 academic year are eligible.
 
The winners will be announced Wednesday, June 26. Stay tuned to Big12Sports.com and the league’s social media platforms to see the rest of the candidates.
 
This morning’s featured candidates are UCF’s RJ Harvey and Rayniah Jones. 
 
UCF Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
RJ Harvey, Football
Gr., Orlando, Florida
Accomplishments
  • UCF’s leading rusher in 2023 with 226 attempts for 1,416 yards (fourth-most in a single season at UCF) and his 16 rushing touchdowns (tied for the second-most in a single season at UCF).
  • Only five FBS players scored more regular season rushing touchdowns than Harvey in 2023.
  • Ranked in the top five in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (108.9), yards per rush (6.2), rushing yards (1,416) and rushing touchdowns (16).
  • Selected to the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society for his academic and athletic prowess.
UCF Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Rayniah Jones, Track & Field
Sr., Miami, Florida
Accomplishments
  • Became the first athlete in UCF history to win a Big 12 Championship, as she claimed the individual title in the 100m hurdles at the outdoor league championship with a 12.78.
  • Garnered her 10th career All-America honor at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship with her third-place finish in the 100m hurdles.
  • Her finish at the NCAA Championship in hurdles is a program record with her time of 12.59.
  • Earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science with a 3.92 graduate GPA.
2023-24 Big 12 Athletes of the Year Nominees
Baylor - Johnny Keefer and Alexis Brown
BYU - Kenneth Rooks and Brecken Mozingo
UCF - RJ Harvey and Rayniah Jones