The Running Back Battle Of The Year: Tahj Brooks and R.J Harvey

If you’re not a Texas Tech or UCF fan, you would think the running back position has been down this season. No one in the national media talks about them. NFL mock drafts don’t have a single running back going in the first round.

Tahj Brooks and R.J Harvey go head-to-head today 👀

What a running back battle between these running backs from UCF and Texas Tech! pic.twitter.com/amhZZGXJb9

— FL Teams (@FLTeams) November 18, 2023

However, don’t tell Tahj Brooks and R.J Harvey that it’s been a down year as the two running backs have been stellar. In my eyes, they have been the best running backs in the country. Even after Harvey outplayed Ollie Gordon and dominated OSU, no one was talking about it. There’s not a whisper about Harvey outside of the Magic Kingdom. What’s even more surprising is that Texas Tech is known for the air raid system. They decided to change systems three weeks into the season, switching to a heavy run scheme; Brooks has saved the Red Raiders season.

Both running backs have been critical to their team’s success and deserve a lot more credit.

What separates Brooks and Harvey from the rest of the country is their consistency. Both running backs only have one game with under 50 yards running. Brooks had 39 yards in week one against Wyoming, back when Texas Tech was running the air raid. Since the switch to a rushing system, Brooks’ lowest rushing total has been 98 yards.

We all saw what Harvey did to Oklahoma State, murdering them with over 200 rushing yards. He has five games with over 100 rushing yards. Again, it’s a model of consistency and the rest of the country has to take notice.

We’ll get to see the best running back battle of the year. I expect both to have their moments. It’ll be a fun battle to see which team can vault themselves into a position to go bowling. I have Texas Tech winning this one. Their dominance at home has been insane. It’s hard to come in and win in the desert. They have the advantage at QB and that’ll give them an edge. It’s fun to watch the two best running backs in the country go at it and both should be playing on Sunday.