Game log · Week-by-week
2024 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 29-24@ Nevada | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 2 | L 15-18vs BYU | 8 | 35 | 4.4 | 0 | 17 | Season-high 35 yds |
| Total | 12 | 43 | 3.2 | 0 | 17 |
#22
Jaylan Knighton
Senior running back for West Virginia. 2024: 43 rushing yards, 4 catches.
5′10″ · 185 lb · Lauderhill, FL
CFB Index 53 · #105 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to West Virginia for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
RB recruit
No. 106 nationally · Signed with Miami
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for West Virginia. 2024: 43 rushing yards, 4 catches.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Miami in 2020.
- Transferred from SMU to West Virginia in 2025.
Jaylan Knighton
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Four head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. He has two of these now, the latest All-AAC in 2023. The receipt: 35 rush yds, 16 rec yds against BYU — Week 2, 2024.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.
20209 games
- Signed with Miami4-star out of Deerfield Beach
202312 games
- Entered the portal
- All-AACsecond
2025
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-AAC · 2ND TEAM
All-AAC 2nd team (2023)
Coaching lineage · 2020–2024
2 coaches2020–2023
West Virginia
2024era →
Chad Scott
West Virginia
Coaching transition mid-career: Neal Brown → Chad Scott. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2024 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2020Miami8-3HC: Manny Diaz · Balanced, fast tempo
2021Miami7-5HC: Jess Simpson · Balanced
2022Miami5-7HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2023SMU11-3HC: Rhett Lashlee · Run-leaning
2024SMU11-3HC: Rhett Lashlee · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 21.5 YDS/g, 3.2 YPC, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Nevada · 3&17 · Q2 · EPA +3.14Kevin Jennings pass complete to Jaylan Knighton for 18 yds to the NEV 21 for a 1ST down
- Week 2 · BYU · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.37Jaylan Knighton run for 7 yds to the BYU 36 for a 1ST down
- Week 2 · BYU · 3&2 · Q1 · EPA -0.93Jaylan Knighton run for 1 yd to the BYU 43
- Week 2 · BYU · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.84Kevin Jennings pass complete to Jaylan Knighton for 11 yds to the SMU 33 for a 1ST down
- Week 2 · BYU · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.53Jaylan Knighton run for 17 yds to the BYU 23 for a 1ST down
- Week 1 · Nevada · 1&20 · Q1 · EPA -0.51Jaylan Knighton run for no gain to the SMU 35
- Week 2 · BYU · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.51Jaylan Knighton run for 2 yds to the SMU 30
- Week 1 · Nevada · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.45Jaylan Knighton run for 2 yds to the NEV 38
- Week 1 · Nevada · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.42Jaylan Knighton run for 3 yds to the SMU 40
- Week 1 · Nevada · 3&19 · Q4 · EPA +0.25Preston Stone pass complete to Jaylan Knighton for 8 yds to the SMU 49
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
West Virginia
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Running back · West Virginia
Returning around him
- 14% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: -17 net (34 in / 51 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
West Virginia · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #49 · 2026 recruiting class #25
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Treshaun Ward’s 2023 season.
73%match
Matches Treshaun on
Weight
Rush TD rate
Receiving share
Differs from Treshaun on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Andrew Body’s path through Alabama State.
Andrew Body
92%match
Matches Andrew on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Malik Jackson's senior season at Jacksonville State (2023).
83%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Malik on
Receiving share
Rush TD rate
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaylan Knighton
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology