Gus Malzahn once coached Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix. He also coached the guy in line to be their starting running back.

The Broncos last Friday selected Central Florida’s RJ Harvey with the No. 60 overall pick, in the second round, of the NFL draft. Malzahn was his head coach the past four seasons with the Knights before Malzahn resigned last November to become Florida State’s offensive coordinator. He was Auburn’s head coach for Nix’s first two seasons there in 2019 and 2020 before he played one more year with the Eagles and then two at Oregon.

“That’s really cool,’’ Malzahn told The Denver Gazette about Harvey joining Nix in Denver. “Both those guys are really excited to play with each other. (Harvey) and Bo were texting each other (after the running back was drafted).”

The Broncos are certainly excited about adding the 5-foot-8, 205-pound Harvey. He rushed for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023 before following that up with 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024.

“He’s a special player,’’ Malzahn said. “He’s a great player. He’s a great person, a great practice player and a great teammate. (The Broncos) hit a home run with him.”

After being a star quarterback at Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla., Harvey went to Virginia as a quarterback in 2019 and redshirted. He then transferred to UCF in Orlando in 2020, the year before Malzahn arrived in 2021.

Having moved to running back, Harvey carried just three times for 3 yards in five games during a government restrictions-shortened 2020 season. Then he suffered a torn ACL in spring drills in 2021 and missed the season. He returned to the field and had 796 yards rushing in 2022.

“He had a great first spring before he tore his knee up and missed the next season,’’ Malzahn said. “Then he was still learning the running back position. But the past two years he was dominant. He’s got a unique perspective of being a former quarterback at the Division I level in which he looks at the game from a quarterback standpoint while playing the running back position.”

While Harvey is undersized, Malzahn said that is no big deal.

“He’s strong and he’s explosive,’’ Malzahn said. “That maybe is an advantage. … He’s got unbelievable lateral quickness. He’s got great vision. He’s a patient runner. He’s a tough guy. He’s durable. He catches the ball extremely well out of the backfield.”

Harvey caught 19 passes for 238 yards in 2023 and 20 for 267 in 2024. While Broncos general manager George Paton said after Harvey was drafted that “he can improve in the passing game,’’ Malzahn doesn’t see any reason for concern.

“He’s got great hands,’’ Malzahn said.

Harvey’s explosiveness hasn’t been questioned. He led college football last season with the most runs of 10 or more yards.

“He went (92 yards for a touchdown) against Oklahoma State (in November 2023),’’ Malzahn said. “That was a great run. … He’s big-time special.”

Malzahn said Harvey fit in well at UCF.

“His teammates loved him,’’ Malzahn said. “He’s a quiet kid. He’s one of the hardest workers on the team. He just shows up early and leaves late every day.”

Harvey is the leading candidate to start at running back for the Broncos, who haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay gained 1,011 in 2019. But Denver coach Sean Payton likes to go with two primary running backs, so Harvey could be used in conjunction with 5-11, 227-pound Audric Estime. The Broncos also have 5-7, 187-pound Jaleel McLaughlin, who figures to also maintain a role.

“He’s really excited about Denver,’’ said Malzahn, who spoke with Harvey after he was drafted. “That was one of the teams he had circled (before the draft). I think it’s a really good fit for him.”

Come 2025, Malzahn will tune in to as many Broncos games as he can. He was thrilled with what Nix did in 2024.

“I was proud of him,’’ Malzahn said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun watching his career.”

Now he has Harvey’s career in Denver to also follow.