Running back, UCLA (from James Madison), 2022–⁠26

Wayne Knight

Number
No. 3
Height
5′7″
Weight
193 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Smyrna, DE

Wayne Knight plays running back for UCLA, after James Madison (2022–⁠25). Knight is No. 5 in FBS in rushing touchdowns this season. Last time out, against Wisconsin: 13 carries, 23 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 6 yards.

2026 so far

571 rushing yards, 11 TD

No. 5 in FBS in rushing touchdowns

Last game: 13 carries, 23 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 6 yards vs. Wisconsin, W 17–⁠7

Next game: vs. Michigan State, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 71@CAL
  2. 97SDSU
  3. 177PUR
  4. 100@MD
  5. 103@ORE
  6. 23WIS

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

At a glance

Best season
1,373
Rushing yards, 2025 (James Madison, 12–⁠2)
Best game
212 yards
Vs. Troy, week 15, 2025: No. 2 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 5
In FBS in rushing touchdowns, 2026

Career highs

212rushing yards, career highvs. Troy, 20253rushing touchdowns, career hightwice; last vs. San Diego State, 20266catches, career highvs. App State, 2025

All-America: AP second team 2025

Team titles: Sun Belt champions, 2025

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022James Madison5−8−1.601
2023James Madison4235.8022
2024James Madison774495.8259
2025James Madison2071,3736.6973
2026UCLA845716.81147
Career3772,4086.42273

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022James Madison56312.6032
2023James Madison11111.0011
2024James Madison151389.2223
2025James Madison403979.9157
2026UCLA141067.6122
Career757159.5457

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTDPRYdsTD
2022James Madison4870–––
2025James Madison4890211790
2026UCLA81600–––
Career163360211790

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022James Madison3RBYr 1
2023James Madison3RBYr 2
2024James Madison3RBYr 3
2025James Madison3RBYr 4
2026UCLA3RBSr. (Yr 5)5′7″193

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2022James Madison90.01––0.1––
2023James Madison50.18––0.9––
2024James Madison910.1959th (n=434)0.1617.210%0.12
2025James Madison2620.2690th (n=576)0.1067.426%0.25
2026UCLA1010.3895th (n=478)0.1038.625%0.48

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025James Madison48%3.201.202.4020%
2026UCLA51%3.601.102.0013%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 UCLA 6 games, 571 rushing yards, 11 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 5atCaliforniaW 45–⁠2487132300
Sep 12vs.San Diego StateW 28–⁠1013973–––
Sep 19vs.PurdueW 52–⁠381817723230
Sep 26atMarylandW 54–⁠31010013350
Oct 10atOregonW 17–⁠152210313121
Oct 17vs.WisconsinW 17–⁠713231360
2025 James Madison 14 games, 1,373 rushing yards, 9 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 30vs.Weber StateW 45–⁠1078913200
Sep 5atLouisvilleL 14–⁠2851203230
Sep 20atLibertyW 31–⁠13178913270
Sep 27vs.Georgia SouthernW 35–⁠101915114350
Oct 4atGeorgia StateW 14–⁠7138513100
Oct 11vs.LouisianaW 24–⁠142011105230
Oct 18vs.Old DominionW 63–⁠27127412270
Oct 28atTexas StateW 52–⁠20134802690
Nov 8atMarshallW 35–⁠23148714791
Nov 15vs.App StateW 58–⁠10169416550
Nov 22vs.Washington StateW 24–⁠20151261–––
Nov 29atCoastal CarolinaW 59–⁠1018850–––
Dec 5vs.TroyW 31–⁠142121212110
Dec 20 ✦atOregonL 34–⁠511711003180
2024 James Madison 13 games, 449 rushing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31atCharlotteW 30–⁠7230–––
Sep 7vs.Gardner-WebbW 13–⁠6210–––
Sep 21atNorth CarolinaW 70–⁠50130–––
Sep 28vs.Ball StateW 63–⁠76630–––
Oct 5atUL MonroeL 19–⁠211160–––
Oct 10vs.Coastal CarolinaW 39–⁠76430–––
Oct 19atGeorgia SouthernL 14–⁠284230130
Oct 26vs.Southern MissW 32–⁠1576102410
Nov 9vs.Georgia StateW 38–⁠731813261
Nov 16atOld DominionW 35–⁠32117412170
Nov 23atApp StateL 20–⁠3412610160
Nov 30vs.MarshallL 33–⁠35116102201
Dec 18 ✦vs.Western KentuckyW 27–⁠17112204250
2023 James Madison 1 game, 23 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 2vs.BucknellW 38–⁠342301110
2022 James Madison 7 games, −8 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 3vs.Middle TennesseeW 44–⁠71−101140
Sep 10vs.Norfolk StateW 63–⁠73−80–––
Oct 1vs.Texas StateW 40–⁠13110190
Nov 5atLouisvilleL 10–⁠34––––––
Nov 12atOld DominionW 37–⁠3–––1320
Nov 19vs.Georgia StateW 42–⁠40–––130
Nov 26vs.Coastal CarolinaW 47–⁠7–––150

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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