Ray Davis Earns Sports Illustrated All-America Honor

University of Kentucky senior running back Ray Davis earned a spot on Sports Illustrated’s All-America Second Team, it was announced Thursday. The nation will get one more opportunity to see the explosive back take the field in a Kentucky uniform as he announced via social media that he would play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 29.

Davis, a 5-10, 216-pound graduate transfer of San Francisco, totaled 1,066 yards on 186 carries and 13 touchdowns rushing this season, ranking third in the league (second among running backs). He also had 317 yards on 29 catches and seven touchdowns receiving. He concluded the regular season as the program’s single-season record holder in touchdowns (20) and scoring (120 points), while also leading the SEC in both categories. He currently ranks 13th on the program’s single-season rushing yards list (1,066).

Davis is the only active player – and believed to be the only player in NCAA history – to total at least 1,000 rushing yards in a career at three different Division I schools (also Temple and Vanderbilt). He also became the first player in SEC history to have 1,000-yard seasons at two league schools, also running for 1,042 last season for Vanderbilt. He has the fourth-most career rushing yards among active players in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (3,563).

Davis’ season was highlighted by rushing for 280 yards and totaling a school-record-tying four touchdowns in the win over Florida.  He was named National Player of the Week by two organizations for that effort.

In the classroom, Davis graduated in 2022 from Vanderbilt with a degree in in communications studies. Next Friday, he will graduate from UK with an undergraduate certificate in business.

Davis’ Postseason Honors:

Second-Team All-American (Sports Illustrated)

Honorable Mention All-American (College Football Network)

First-Team All-SEC (AP, USA Today)

Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches)

Kentucky (7-5) is headed to 79th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to take on No. 22-ranked Clemson (8-4) on Friday, Dec. 29 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Wildcats and Tigers will tangle at noon ET at Bill Gay Grounds at EverBank Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN.

Tickets are available online at UKFootballTix.com or by calling (800) 928-2287, option 4. Kentucky will be on the west side of EverBank Stadium. Student ticket information is online at UKFootballTix.com. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets directly from UK Athletics to guarantee seats with other Kentucky fans and to help UK meet its bowl ticket obligations.

The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl appearance extends Kentucky’s school-record streak of eight consecutive bowl appearances, all coming under Stoops.  UK is one of only eight teams in the nation, and one of only three in the SEC (along with Alabama and Georgia) with at least eight consecutive Bowl appearances.

For more information on the UK football team, visit ukathletics.com/football and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and “X,” formerly Twitter.