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This previously unranked recruit has become one of the most electrifying players in the FBS, period. I'm talking about Wayne Knight. And now, let's put on the obligatory clip of Hollywood's Wayne Knight, the legendary character actor who played the famous Newman on Seinfeld. When you control the email, you control the information. Now that's in the past, let's talk about the other Wayne Knight, the UCLA star who was ignored by everyone except a future national champion coach and who continues to solidify himself as one of the best stories of overcoming adversity in college football. Through the seventh week of the season, the fifth-year running back has 11 rushing touchdowns; He averages over 95 yards per game
and nearly 7 yards per attempt, and has been the offensive engine of a revamped Bruins team that remains undefeated and on track for its best season in years. Knight's efforts have even made him a surprise candidate for the Heisman Trophy, which is remarkable given his track record and the fact that no running back has won college football's most prestigious award since Derrick Henry more than a decade ago. And while it's a tough bet to beat favorite Jeremiah Smith, Knight's great run at the start of the season has at least put him in the running to be the first UCLA player to win the Heisman in almost 60 years. And his status as a
must-see talent marks the culmination of an unlikely journey for the 5-foot-7 runner from Smyrna, Delaware, who has become the dark knight. And very quickly, guys, don't forget to hit the subscribe button, like this video, and leave a comment. It would be so much cooler if they did. Okay, although Knight dominated on the field at Smyrna High, earning three conference and three state honors during his time there, he wasn't considered an FBS-caliber talent because of his size and the fact that he came from Delaware, which is hardly a hotbed of football talent. By the time he played his final play at Smyrna High, Knight was not among the small group of "Diamond State" recruits who received an official ranking, a group that
incidentally included his high school quarterback, Cameron Edge. As the signing day approached, Knight's only offers to play college football came from FCS schools. Eventually, he committed to Stony Brook University, a program that has produced a total of zero NFL draft picks. But then, fate intervened. Less than a week before the signing day, Knight received an early morning call from Curt Cignetti, now a national champion in Indiana, who was then the head coach at James Madison University. Cignetti liked what he saw and offered Knight a place on the team. Needless to say, with JMU having just accepted an invitation to join the FBS after years of dominating
CAA football, Knight got engaged right then and there. But however providential it may have seemed for Knight to get a spot on the Dukes team, his time in the FBS did not get off to a promising start. As a freshman in 2022, Knight carried the ball five times for a total of minus eight yards as JMU's fifth running back. And the following season, with his role not increasing, Knight decided to step away from the team after four games and take a year off as a "redshirt" while he considered his options. But just when it seemed that his time at JMU was over, fate intervened once again. You see, after the 2023 season, the Dukes had a new head coach, Bob Chesney, after Cignetti left for Indiana. And at the request of Knight's younger brother,
Ymir, who was also on the team, Chesney went to chat with Wayne. Well, after their conversation, and after other runners followed Cignetti to Indiana, Knight decided to return to the JMU team and commit once again to succeeding there. And finally, he did it. In 2024, Knight became an important weapon in the Dukes' offense towards the end of the season, after playing very little during the first two- thirds of it. In his final four games that year, Knight carried the ball 45 times, helping his team to big wins over rival Old Dominion and then over Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl, the Dukes' first big bowl victory. In the end, Knight finished fourth on the team in scrimmage yards that season, averaging nearly
six yards per carry, scoring four touchdowns and displaying a wide range of skills. Great explosiveness, impressive vision, and a serious ability to receive the ball coming out of the backfield. And as a redshirt junior, Knight had the opportunity to be the Dukes' main player and, pardon the pun, he took over the starting running back position. In the Dukes' 2025 season opener, he exploded with a career-high 89 rushing yards on just seven carries, highlighted by a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Two weeks later, he set a new personal record in scrimmage yards with another 89 rushing yards plus 27 receiving yards. And the following Saturday, he had his real star performance. 151 rushing yards on 19 carries, including a
40-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, plus four receptions for 35 yards. And it simply didn't stop. Knight was the key piece of the Dukes' extraordinary ground game, averaging nearly 242 yards per game and forming the backbone of a top 10 offense in the nation. With Knight unleashed, the Dukes achieved a 12-and-two record, captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship after a 212-yard burst from the running back, and earned a spot in the College Football Playoffs. And although the Dukes' dream season ended against Oregon in the first round, Knight certainly went out with a bang, rushing for 110 yards on just 17 carries and adding three receptions in his team's 51-34 loss. In short, it was a magical year for Knight
, who was named to the second All-American team after setting a new school record for total yards, finishing seventh in the FBS in rushing yards and scoring 10 touchdowns. This comes just two years after throwing in the towel and declaring himself a redshirt midway through his second season because he wasn't playing. Under Chesney's leadership, Knight had blossomed into the best version of himself. And so, when their head coach signed a five-year contract to take over at UCLA in late 2025, there was much speculation that Knight would follow him to Westwood. And spoiler alert, that's exactly what happened. One week after the Dukes' season ended, Knight entered the transfer portal and, just two weeks
later, committed to UCLA, becoming one of 11 players and 28 staff members to follow Chesney from JMU to California. But if there were any doubts about whether the short-statured running back could succeed in the Big Ten against the best competition in college football, Knight has immediately dispelled those concerns. In his debut with the Bruins on the road against Cal, Knight ran for not one, not two, but three touchdowns in a 45-24 blowout. UCLA's first win over their in-state rivals since 2022. A week later, Knight ran for three more touchdowns, tearing San Diego State apart all day in an eventual 28-10 Bruins victory. And then he really let go.
Against Purdue in week three, Knight rushed for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns in another dominant UCLA victory. Then, on the road in Maryland, he only needed 10 carries to reach 100 yards, and scored the Bruins' first touchdown in a crushing 54-3 victory. And it simply hasn't slowed down. Six games into the season, Knight leads the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns. He is tied with Smith for the conference lead in touchdowns from scrimmage, and is tenth in the nation in total yards per game. Yes, it also kicks back. And their consistent excellence has helped to revitalize a Bruins program that was a disaster just a year ago. After a 3-9 season marked by instability, the Bruins, under
Chesney's leadership and with a new infusion of talent, haven't lost a game in 2016. Along the way, they've gone 4-0 against conference rivals, including a big road win over 13th-ranked Oregon. Incidentally, Knight scored two touchdowns in that game and rushed for 103 yards. Now, unfortunately for UCLA, the Bruins' starting quarterback suffered a serious knee injury against the Ducks that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season. But UCLA overtook Wisconsin without him, propelling them to ninth place in the AP poll, their highest ranking since the 2022 season. And given their relatively easy remaining schedule, there's still a path for UCLA to make the college football playoffs. It goes without saying that their offense and their season
now depend heavily on Knight, who has already won three Paul Hornung Player of the Week awards this year and has entered the conversation for the Heisman. But in addition to that, he's also entered the mix for the NFL draft, with some analysts projecting him as a third-day pick. That's simply incredible for a runner who's 1.70 meters tall. After all, in the entire history of the NFL, fewer than 30 running backs who are 5'7" or shorter have received 50 carries in a season. But if Knight continues doing what he's been doing, he has a good chance of joining that exclusive club to become the next Boston Scott, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, or perhaps even Maurice Jones-Drew. Obviously, there's a long way to go before the draft and
the Heisman vote count, but no matter how the season ends for Knight, his evolution from unranked recruit to legitimate FBS star is an amazing story of perseverance and defying the odds. And that's exactly what makes college football so great. Thanks for watching the video. If you like what you see, press the subscribe button and activate the notification bell. And for more interesting videos like this, be sure to find us on IG, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
