Ray Davis ranks as top-five running back in the nation, tops in SEC

Is it time to start the Ray Davis For Heisman campaign?

The first-year Kentucky running back has exceeded all expectations five games into his tenure with the Wildcats. A former Vanderbilt transfer, Davis has proven early and often that he’s worthy of being considered one of the nation’s very best ball carriers. The super-senior currently ranks fourth in the country in total rushing yards (594), 12th in yards per rush (7.8), and tied for second in rushing touchdowns (eight).

His 280 yards on the ground against Florida on Saturday (third-most in school history) were the most by a single player in one game so far this season — not to mention his four total touchdowns. 189 of his rushing yards came after contact. He forced 10 missed tackles. Only one other person in the history of college football has run for more yards against the Florida Gators than the San Fransisco native did on Saturday. Davis more than earned game ball from head coach Mark Stoops.

“You got to give an individual shout-out to Ray Davis,” Stoops said after Kentucky beat Florida 33-14. “What a great individual performance. He will be the first one to tell you, the line obviously did a great job pushing people around, but he made people miss and ran around people and through people and over people, you name it. Give him a lot of credit for some great individual effort.”

"We don't give many individual recognitions, but that man went off today. GAME BALL, @Ray_Davis07" pic.twitter.com/5uhD7FQR9Z

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 30, 2023

So I ask again, is it time to start the Ray Davis For Heisman campaign? The folks in Las Vegas sure think so, although he might need another stellar performance against Georgia to really thrust himself into the national conversation.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Davis has +12000 odds to win college football’s top honor. While that’s only good enough for the 19th-best odds, the fact that Davis is even on the list is an accomplishment in itself. He actually has the third-best odds among all running backs behind only Michigan’s Blake Corum and Notre Dame’s Audric Estime. Davis currently has better Heisman odds than the likes of Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (+15000), Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+20000), and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (+20000).

Let’s also not forget that Davis isn’t strictly limited to receiving handoffs. He has 11 receptions for 146 yards and three more scores. His 11 combined touchdowns this season rank second in all of Division I football behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who has 12 to his name. Of the 14 running backs in the country with at least 500 yards, Davis has the third-fewest carries.

When it comes to the Southeastern Conference, Davis has been especially dominant compared to his peers. He has 131 more rushing yards than the second-highest tailback (Missouri’s Cody Schrader) on five fewer attempts. His eight rushing touchdowns surpass the second-closest (Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson) by two. There isn’t a player in the SEC averaging more rushing yards per game than his 118.8.

Those are All-SEC caliber numbers — possibly All-American level if he can keep it up. But if you ask Davis, he’ll point to his offensive line as the real reason for his individual success.

“Personally, it was a great day for me. But honestly, I didn’t really do much today,” Davis said. “You gotta give credit to the o-line, to the tight ends and the receiving corps, those guys blocking down the field 20 yards just staying with it, constantly going. Obviously today running the ball was something we were good at, so therefore the receivers decided, hey, we’re gonna step up and block. When it’s time to get the ball thrown, those guys stepped up and did what they had to do.”

Even though we’ve yet to reach the halfway point of the regular season, Davis has entered the national conversation. Now it’s about maintaining that for at least seven more games. Posting another outstanding performance against No. 1 Georgia next weekend in Athens on ESPN is the perfect chance to keep that momentum rolling.