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Jersey Number 3
Wayne Knight
- Position:
- Running Back
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Smyrna, Del.
- Previous School:
- Smyrna HS / James Madison
Career Highlights
โข 2025 Second Team All-American (AP, SI, USA TODAY, On3)
โข 2025 First Team All-Sun Belt
โข 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game MVP
โข 2025 Paul Hornung Award Finalist
โข JMU School Record Holder for Single-Season All-Purpose Yards (2,039)
ย
Career Summary
Transferred to UCLA ahead of the 2026 campaign after spending his first four collegiate seasons at James Madison University (2022-25) โฆ ย earned Second Team All-America honors and was a Paul Hornung Award Finalist in 2025 after helping JMU to a CFP berth with a school-record 2,039 all-purpose yards โฆ set career highs across the board in 2025, rushing 207 times for 1,373 yards with nine touchdowns to go along with 397 receiving yards and a touchdown โฆ over 39 career games (16 starts) at JMU, totaled 1,837 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 293 carries; added 61 catches for 608 yards and three touchdowns, as well as eight kickoff returns for 176 yards (22.0 yards per return) and 19 punt returns for 180 yards (9.5 yards per return).
ย
2025 (James Madison)
Had a breakout redshirt junior season, earning Second Team All-America honors from several major outlets (Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, USA TODAY, On3) as well as HERO Sports Group of Five First Team All-America honors โฆ was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, a prestigious college football honor presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football โฆ led the Sun Belt Conference and set a JMU school record with 2,039 all-purpose yards โฆ had 207 carries for 1,373 rushing yards and nine touchdowns โฆ also made 40 receptions for 397 receiving yards and a touchdown โฆ was the Sun Belt rushing champion โฆ ranked third nationally in all-purpose yards per game (145.6), seventh in yards per carry (6.6), and 15th in rushing yards per game (98.1) โฆ named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference โฆ selected MVP of the Sun Belt Championship Game after posting career highs in rushing yards (211) and all-purpose yards (234) with a career-long 73-yard touchdown vs. Troy on Dec. 5 โฆ was voted JMUโs Offensive MVP for the season โฆ started all 14 of the Dukesโ games at running back โฆ Rushed for 110 yards against Oregon in the CFP on Dec. 20 โฆ notched five 100+ yard rushing performances, and had six games with 150+ all-purpose yards โฆ had 75+ rushing yards in 11-of-14 games โฆ posted 197 all-purpose yards and a career-high six receptions in a win over App State on Nov. 15 โฆ rushed for 151 yards and a TD on 19 carries against Georgia Southern on Sept. 29, finishing with 199 all-purpose yards.
ย
2024 (James Madison)
Played in all 13 of JMUโs games as a redshirt sophomore, making two starts โฆ totaled 449 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries โฆ averaged 5.8 yards per rush โฆ added 15 catches for 137 yards and two scores โฆ season-best performance came at Old Dominion on Nov. 16, as he rushed for a season-high 74 yards with a touchdown โฆ scored the first two touchdowns of his career on Nov. 9, against Georgia State, finding pay dirt from 18 yards out while also adding an 18-yard touchdown reception โฆ recorded 60+ rushing yards in five games, including a trio of 75+ yard outings โฆ had multiple receptions in five games. ย
ย
2023 (James Madison)
Played in four games as a true sophomore โฆ utilized a redshirt โฆ had a season-long 22-yard rush against Bucknell on Sept. 2.
ย
2022 (James Madison)
Entered eight games as a true freshman โฆ had five touches for -8 rushing yards โฆ added five receptions for 63 yards โฆ returned four kickoffs for an average of 21.8 yards, including a season-long 35-yard return against Georgia State on Nov. 19.
ย
High School
Attended Smyrna High School in his hometown of Smyrna, Del. โฆ was a three-time all-state and three-time all-conference honoree โฆ earned four varsity letters โฆ helped Smyrna to the state 3A title game in 2021 โฆ helped Smyrna reach the playoffs in each of his final three seasons on campus.
ย
Personal
Parents are Wade Knight and Yolanda Miller โฆ has three siblings: William, Yamir, and Yolanda โฆ his brother, Yamir, was a wide receiver at JMU from 2023-24 โฆ his brother, William, was a running back at Old Dominion and Delaware โฆ majored in sociology at JMU.
โข 2025 Second Team All-American (AP, SI, USA TODAY, On3)
โข 2025 First Team All-Sun Belt
โข 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game MVP
โข 2025 Paul Hornung Award Finalist
โข JMU School Record Holder for Single-Season All-Purpose Yards (2,039)
ย
Career Summary
Transferred to UCLA ahead of the 2026 campaign after spending his first four collegiate seasons at James Madison University (2022-25) โฆ ย earned Second Team All-America honors and was a Paul Hornung Award Finalist in 2025 after helping JMU to a CFP berth with a school-record 2,039 all-purpose yards โฆ set career highs across the board in 2025, rushing 207 times for 1,373 yards with nine touchdowns to go along with 397 receiving yards and a touchdown โฆ over 39 career games (16 starts) at JMU, totaled 1,837 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 293 carries; added 61 catches for 608 yards and three touchdowns, as well as eight kickoff returns for 176 yards (22.0 yards per return) and 19 punt returns for 180 yards (9.5 yards per return).
ย
2025 (James Madison)
Had a breakout redshirt junior season, earning Second Team All-America honors from several major outlets (Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, USA TODAY, On3) as well as HERO Sports Group of Five First Team All-America honors โฆ was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, a prestigious college football honor presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football โฆ led the Sun Belt Conference and set a JMU school record with 2,039 all-purpose yards โฆ had 207 carries for 1,373 rushing yards and nine touchdowns โฆ also made 40 receptions for 397 receiving yards and a touchdown โฆ was the Sun Belt rushing champion โฆ ranked third nationally in all-purpose yards per game (145.6), seventh in yards per carry (6.6), and 15th in rushing yards per game (98.1) โฆ named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference โฆ selected MVP of the Sun Belt Championship Game after posting career highs in rushing yards (211) and all-purpose yards (234) with a career-long 73-yard touchdown vs. Troy on Dec. 5 โฆ was voted JMUโs Offensive MVP for the season โฆ started all 14 of the Dukesโ games at running back โฆ Rushed for 110 yards against Oregon in the CFP on Dec. 20 โฆ notched five 100+ yard rushing performances, and had six games with 150+ all-purpose yards โฆ had 75+ rushing yards in 11-of-14 games โฆ posted 197 all-purpose yards and a career-high six receptions in a win over App State on Nov. 15 โฆ rushed for 151 yards and a TD on 19 carries against Georgia Southern on Sept. 29, finishing with 199 all-purpose yards.
ย
2024 (James Madison)
Played in all 13 of JMUโs games as a redshirt sophomore, making two starts โฆ totaled 449 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries โฆ averaged 5.8 yards per rush โฆ added 15 catches for 137 yards and two scores โฆ season-best performance came at Old Dominion on Nov. 16, as he rushed for a season-high 74 yards with a touchdown โฆ scored the first two touchdowns of his career on Nov. 9, against Georgia State, finding pay dirt from 18 yards out while also adding an 18-yard touchdown reception โฆ recorded 60+ rushing yards in five games, including a trio of 75+ yard outings โฆ had multiple receptions in five games. ย
ย
2023 (James Madison)
Played in four games as a true sophomore โฆ utilized a redshirt โฆ had a season-long 22-yard rush against Bucknell on Sept. 2.
ย
2022 (James Madison)
Entered eight games as a true freshman โฆ had five touches for -8 rushing yards โฆ added five receptions for 63 yards โฆ returned four kickoffs for an average of 21.8 yards, including a season-long 35-yard return against Georgia State on Nov. 19.
ย
High School
Attended Smyrna High School in his hometown of Smyrna, Del. โฆ was a three-time all-state and three-time all-conference honoree โฆ earned four varsity letters โฆ helped Smyrna to the state 3A title game in 2021 โฆ helped Smyrna reach the playoffs in each of his final three seasons on campus.
ย
Personal
Parents are Wade Knight and Yolanda Miller โฆ has three siblings: William, Yamir, and Yolanda โฆ his brother, Yamir, was a wide receiver at JMU from 2023-24 โฆ his brother, William, was a running back at Old Dominion and Delaware โฆ majored in sociology at JMU.
Thursday, June 04
Wednesday, June 03
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
