Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-24@ California | 8 | 71 | 8.9 | 3 | 31 | 3 rushing TDs |
| Wk 2 | W 28-10vs San Diego State | 13 | 97 | 7.5 | 3 | 36 | Season-high 97 yds |
| Total | 21 | 168 | 8.2 | 6 | 36 |
#3
Wayne Knight
Senior running back for UCLA. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′7″ · 193 lb · Smyrna, DE · Smyrna HS / James Madison
CFB Index 89 · #6 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceNational watchTransferred James Madison → UCLA 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.
The numbers
168
rushing yards · 2026
6 TD · 8 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 13 car · 97 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing TDs game.
The play that turned itSwung UCLA from 45% to 95% to win.UCLA at California · 45-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for UCLA. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with James Madison in 2022.
- Transferred from James Madison to UCLA in 2026.
- Named Preseason All-America in 2026.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Hype = tape
+16aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 72nd percentile of RBs; the tape says
57th pctl our rushing-value metric (wEPA) RBs · 140 qualified, n=52
— the discourse is fair.Aura — fan perception72nd pctl
Production — on-field57th pctl
n=52 mentions · cohort: RBs · 140 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our rushing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Rivals warmer than fans
The rival fanbase is unexpectedly warm on him relative to his own.
16.3own fans
41.4rival fans
Tough win in what could be considered a trap game That fake punt given up still irks me because it was so obvious it would happen, still got the win though and that final Wayne Knight td was huge in terms of the eyes of the CFP committee
Also worth knowing:
In Their Words
208 windows · 2026 fan posts
wayne×343.0ucla×56.5madison×34.8offense×9.7james×13.0
“It's the Wayne Knight Show! BACK-TO-BACK 3 TOUCHDOWN GAMES!!!!! 🔥”
reddit/ucla · fan post, verbatim
Wayne Knight
Hits the crease and outruns the angle. Across five seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Curt Cignetti, Damian Wroblewski and Bob Chesney. Two straight seasons of it now: Preseason All-America (Associated Press) again in 2026. One game to point at: 97 rush yds, 3 rush TD against San Diego State — Week 2, 2026.
168 RUSH YDS · 6 RUSH TD · 21 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20227 games
- Signed with James Madisonout of Smyrna
202514 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Sun Beltfirst
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Preseason All-AmericaFirst Team
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥇
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2026)
1 selectors honored him
🥈
ALL-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2025)
Badges
- Honors Badge
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coachesPlayed under 4 different head coaches: Chip Kelly, Deshaun Foster, Tim Skipper, and Bob Chesney. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to UCLA
2025James Madison
2026UCLA
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022James Madison8-3HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-leaning
2023James Madison11-2HC: Damian Wroblewski · Balanced
2024James Madison9-4HC: Bob Chesney · Run-leaning
2025James Madison12-2HC: Bob Chesney · Run-heavy
2026UCLA2-0HC: Bob Chesney · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceBreakout
Elite: rush tds (97th percentile). Strength: yards / carry (93rd percentile). Concern: carries (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: 84.0 YDS/g, 8.2 YPC, 3.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bob Chesney
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
National watch / fringe AA
In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Selector Grid · 2026
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UCLA | 21 | 168 | 8.0 | 6 | -- |
| 2025 | James Madison | 207 | 1,373 | 6.6 | 9 | -- |
| 2024 | James Madison | 77 | 449 | 5.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | James Madison | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | James Madison | 5 | -8 | -1.6 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 314 | 2,005 | 6.4 | 17 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UCLA | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | James Madison | 40 | 397 | 9.9 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | James Madison | 15 | 138 | 9.2 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | James Madison | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | James Madison | 5 | 63 | 12.6 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 63 | 639 | 10.1 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–10
97 rush yds (13 car) · 3 TD
With C. Gerrand — 49 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 55 LONG · N. Iamaleava — 151 yds · 0 TD · 1 INT · QBR 31.0 · 57 rush yds (13 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · San Diego State · 2&4 · Q4 · EPA +3.02(02:18) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush middle for 36 yards gain to the SDSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:16, 1ST DOWN #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 1 · California · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.84(08:53) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush middle for 31 yards gain to the CAL00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:46, 1ST DOWN #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 1 · California · 3&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.61(03:27) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush middle for 8 yards gain to the CAL00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 03:23, 1ST DOWN #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 2 · San Diego State · 2&3 · Q3 · EPA +2.25(11:20) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush middle for 8 yards gain to the SDSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 11:17, 1ST DOWN #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 2 · San Diego State · 1&7 · Q4 · EPA +2.20(07:17) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush right for 7 yards gain to the SDSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:17 #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 1 · California · 1&4 · Q4 · EPA +1.69(03:03) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush right for 4 yards gain to the CAL00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:58 #15 M.Bhaghani kick attempt good (H: #45 C.Barry, LS: #44 G.Cereghino)
- Week 1 · California · 3&4 · Q4 · EPA +1.37(03:11) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush right for 17 yards gain to the CAL04 (#2 K.Lopa; #32 T.Jernigan), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · California · 3&2 · Q1 · EPA +0.90(07:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 N.Iamaleava pass complete short right to #3 W.Knight caught at CAL29, for 22 yards to the CAL09 (#7 D.Harris), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · San Diego State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.78(00:20) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush right for 11 yards gain to the UCLA31 (#21 T.Letuli), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · San Diego State · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.59(09:03) Shotgun #3 W.Knight rush middle for 2 yards gain to the UCLA49 (#29 J.Hunter)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tyler Badie’s 2021 season.
64%match
All-SECNFL Rd 6
Matches Tyler on
Rush TD rate
Yards / carry
Differs from Tyler on
Yards / reception (higher)
Height (lower)
Total rush EPA (college ability) (lower)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Jahiem White’s path through West Virginia.
96%match
Matches Jahiem on
Height
Weight
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Raleek Brown's senior season at Arizona State (2025).
72%match
All-Big 12
Matches Raleek on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Differs from Raleek on
Yards / reception (higher)
Height (lower)
Rush TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Wayne Knight
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #47
Peaked at #47 this season.
Background
Career Highlights • 2025 Second Team All-American (AP, SI, USA TODAY, On3) • 2025 First Team All-Sun Belt • 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game MVP • 2025 Paul Hornung Award Finalist • JMU School Record Holder for Single-Season All-Purpose Yards (2,039) Career Summary Transferred to UCLA ahead of the...
The backfield · UCLA
- #3Wayne Knight1,373 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Jaivian Thomas306 rushing yards · 2025
- #6Anthony Woods294 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Dylan Lee117 rushing yards · 2025
- #32Troy Leigber24 rushing yards · 2025
1 more on the roster · UCLA team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology