The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

The two were also tabbed UCF team captains on Sunday, along with linebacker Ethan Barr and offensive lineman Marcellus Marshall.

 

Harvey turned in a special 2023 season, headlined by being a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best collegiate running back.

 

Harvey’s historic season saw the Orlando native rush for 1,416 rushing yards to become the first Knights running back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Greg McCrae in 2018.

 

His 16 rushing TDs tied for second in a single season at UCF and only five FBS players scored more regular-season rushing touchdowns.

 

Harvey tallied five consecutive 100-yard rushing games from the Kansas to the Oklahoma State games, becoming just the second running back in program history to accomplish the feat in as many games, joining UCF Hall of Famer Kevin Smith. Over his last eight games, he rushed for 1,038 yards to end the season.

 

Jefferson joined the Knights in January

2024 after spending five seasons at Arkansas where he set the program records for completions (626), completion percentage (65.1), passing yards (7,911), passing TDs (67) and total TDs (88).

 

Last season, he started all 12 games at quarterback for the Razorbacks, throwing for 2,107 yards with19 passing TDs in addition to 161 rushing attempts for 447 yards and two scores.

 

The Sardis, Mississippi, native was just the second three-time team captain in Arkansas program history. Jefferson was one of just three Razorback quarterbacks to throw for 7,000 yards with 60 or more passing TDs (also Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson).

 

His completion percentage marks of 68.0 in 2022 and 67.3 in 2021 rank second and third in program history and his passing yardage marks from those two seasons also rank top 10 at Arkansas.

 

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 12, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 26. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024.

 

The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

Seems that the fault is, after all, in the stars for UCF QB KJ Jefferson. Even after all the records he broke exemplarily, he failed to be the best QB in the eyes of his idol, his quarterback guru Gus Malzahn. The UCF head coach, who is best known for his work with Cam Newton, has a personal favorite and he’s not from the Knights. Rather, Malzahn has found the skills of the QB from Colorado particularly impressive. Yes, we are talking about Shedeur Sanders, the QB who beat Jefferson in Baylesses’ ‘best QB’ race!

The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

The two were also tabbed UCF team captains on Sunday, along with linebacker Ethan Barr and offensive lineman Marcellus Marshall.

 

Harvey turned in a special 2023 season, headlined by being a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best collegiate running back.

 

Harvey’s historic season saw the Orlando native rush for 1,416 rushing yards to become the first Knights running back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Greg McCrae in 2018.

 

His 16 rushing TDs tied for second in a single season at UCF and only five FBS players scored more regular-season rushing touchdowns.

 

Harvey tallied five consecutive 100-yard rushing games from the Kansas to the Oklahoma State games, becoming just the second running back in program history to accomplish the feat in as many games, joining UCF Hall of Famer Kevin Smith. Over his last eight games, he rushed for 1,038 yards to end the season.

 

Jefferson joined the Knights in January 2024 after spending five seasons at Arkansas where he set the program records for completions (626), completion percentage (65.1), passing yards (7,911), passing TDs (67) and total TDs (88).

 

Last season, he started all 12 games at quarterback for the Razorbacks, throwing for 2,107 yards with19 passing TDs in addition to 161 rushing attempts for 447 yards and two scores.

 

The Sardis, Mississippi, native was just the second three-time team captain in Arkansas program history. Jefferson was one of just three Razorback quarterbacks to throw for 7,000 yards with 60 or more passing TDs (also Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson).

 

His completion percentage marks of 68.0 in 2022 and 67.3 in 2021 rank second and third in program history and his passing yardage marks from those two seasons also rank top 10 at Arkansas.

 

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 12, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 26. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024.

 

The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.