Zonovan Knight

Sophomore running back for NC State. 2021: 753 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 21 catches.

RB · NC State · So. · #7

5′11″ · 210 lb · Bailey, NC

CFB Index 54 · #102 of 315 RBsHigh confidenceNational watchNC State 2021 alumnus

On production he ranks #102 of 315 RBs; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

Recruiting

4★

RB recruit

No. 362 nationally · Signed with Southern Nash

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2 running back for NC State. 2021: 753 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 21 catches.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Southern Nash in 2019.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2021.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at NC State, 2,286 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

201912 games

Recruited4-star out of Southern Nash

202011 games

All-ACCthird

202112 games

All-Americafirst
All-ACC

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#362 national

CFB

College

NC State

2019–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

6 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2021)

1 selectors honored him

🎖

ALL-ACC

All-ACC mention (2020)

Coaching lineage · 2019–2021

1 coach

2019–2021

Dave Doeren

NC State

Played his entire career under Dave Doeren.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Dave Doeren, all balanced offenses — 21-15 over that span.

2019NC State4-8HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2020NC State8-4HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2021NC State9-3HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

54Rotational starter #102 of 315?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: td rate (16th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Explosive rate#148 / 409 · 64th pct

8.8%

Yards / carry#176 / 409 · 57th pct

5.5

EPA / carry#220 / 409 · 46th pct

0.16

Success rate#247 / 409 · 40th pct

43.1%

TD rate#343 / 409 · 16th pct

2.2%

Box-score rates (8)

Receptions#65 / 331 · 79th pct

Rush yards#85 / 343 · 75th pct

753

Rec yards#85 / 331 · 74th pct

156

Carries#94 / 343 · 73rd pct

140

Yards / carry#108 / 343 · 67th pct

5.4

Long run#159 / 343 · 53rd pct

Rush TDs#200 / 343 · 36th pct

Fumbles lost#177 / 222 · 13th pct

Season trend

EPA / carry— 2020 cohort too thin to compare (n=17)

Success rate— 2020 cohort too thin to compare (n=17)

Explosive rate— 2020 cohort too thin to compare (n=17)

Yards / carry— 2020 cohort too thin to compare (n=17)

TD rate— 2020 cohort too thin to compare (n=17)

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2021 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home7g	80.0	6.3	0.4
Road5g	38.6	4.3	0.0

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	83.8	6.2	0.5
Weeks 8+6g	41.7	4.7	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Dave Doeren

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

54 · #102 of 315 RBs

Former four-star. Now #102 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2021

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	NC State	140	753	5.4	3	--
2020	NC State	143	788	5.5	10	--
2019	NC State	136	745	5.5	5	--
Career		419	2,286	5.5	18	--

Season	Team
2021	NC State	21	156	7.4	--
2020	NC State	20	136	6.8	--
2019	NC State	7	45	6.4	--
Career		48	337	7.0	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2021

W 27–21

vs Clemson

79 rush yds (23 car)

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 6 at home.

With T. Gill — 51 AVG · 57 LONG · 6 NO · D. Leary — 238 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 85.0 · -22 rush yds (7 car)

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 1 · South Florida · 4&2 · Q3 · EPA +5.66Zonovan Knight run for 46 yds for a TD (Christopher Dunn KICK)
Week 13 · North Carolina · 1&15 · Q2 · EPA +3.40Devin Leary pass complete to Zonovan Knight for 38 yds to the NCaro 31 for a 1ST down
Week 12 · Syracuse · 2&9 · Q2 · EPA +3.04Devin Leary pass complete to Zonovan Knight for 26 yds to the Syrac 41 for a 1ST down
Week 3 · Furman · 3&3 · Q1 · EPA +2.77Zonovan Knight run for 42 yds to the Furm 7 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · South Florida · 3&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.16Devin Leary pass complete to Zonovan Knight for 11 yds to the SFla 33 for a 1ST down
Week 5 · Louisiana Tech · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.15Zonovan Knight run for 15 yds to the LaTch 38 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · South Florida · 2&6 · Q2 · EPA +2.08Zonovan Knight run for 26 yds to the NCSt 40 for a 1ST down
Week 3 · Furman · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA +1.90Zonovan Knight run for 1 yd for a TD (Christopher Dunn KICK)
Week 1 · South Florida · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.83Zonovan Knight run for 21 yds to the SFla 44 for a 1ST down
Week 13 · North Carolina · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.81Zonovan Knight run for 22 yds to the NCaro 41 for a 1ST down

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 45-0vs South Florida	16	163	10.2	1	46	Season-high 163 yds
Wk 2	L 10-24@ Mississippi State	8	31	3.9	0	11
Wk 3	W 45-7vs Furman	11	104	9.5	1	42
Wk 4	W 27-21vs Clemson	23	79	3.4	0	9
Wk 5	W 34-27vs Louisiana Tech	13	85	6.5	1	25
Wk 7	W 33-7@ Boston College	11	41	3.7	0	8
Wk 8	L 30-31@ Miami	8	16	2.0	0	8
Wk 9	W 28-13vs Louisville	11	23	2.1	0	8
Wk 10	W 28-14@ Florida State	18	75	4.2	0	18
Wk 11	L 42-45@ Wake Forest	4	30	7.5	0	12
Wk 12	W 41-17vs Syracuse	8	37	4.6	0	19
Wk 13	W 34-30vs North Carolina	9	69	7.7	0	22
Total		140	753	5.4	3	46