Running Back Ray Davis Will Play in Gator Bowl

Vicky Graff Photo

Kentucky is in way better shape going into the Dec. 29th Gator Bowl in Jacksonville than it was last year when it faced Iowa in the Music City Bowl.

Kentucky won seven regular-season games in both 2022 and this year. However, quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez, UK’s two best offensive players, both opted out of the Music City Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. Against Iowa, UK had no real offense.

This time quarterback Devin Leary and running back Ray Davis, who also both hope to play in the NFL but are not projected as high draft picks, have decided they will play in the game. Leary never wavered in his desire to play in the bowl game but Davis made it sound like he would not when he announced he would not seek another year of eligibility at Kentucky to enter the draft.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Monday he was hoping Davis would play in the bowl game. Thursday the star running back announced he would indeed play in the Gator Bowl.

Davis set a UK single-season record with 20 touchdowns and rushed for 1,066 yards and caught 29 passes for another 3817 yards. He was a first-time all-conference pick by the Associated Press after becoming a 1,000-yard rusher at his third different school, something no other Division I player has done.

“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to God for allowing me to be in the position I am today. To the Big Blue Nation, I want to say thank you for showing me the best parts of what college football can be,” Davis posted on social media Thursday. “To the staff and the coaches here at Kentucky, I want to say thank you for helping me grow into the best young man I can be.

“To my teammates, the boys, I’m forever indebted to y’all. I love y’all the most and I appreciate y’all for being on this journey with me.”

He ended the video with, “See y’all December 29th” — the date of the Gator Bowl against Clemson.

Davis had two special games last season. He ran 26 times for 280 yards — the third-best single-game total ever at UK — and scored four touchdowns in a win over Florida. In the win over Louisville, he scored the game-winning touchdown on a 37-yard run with 1:02 left and had two 20-yard scoring catches.

Davis, who will play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, has rushed for 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career and also had 90 catches for 756 yards and 12 scores.