Do the UCLA Bruins have a star running back on their hands? Expectations continue to grow for James Madison transfer Wayne Knight, who followed head coach Bob Chesney out west to join UCLA this offseason.
Knight starred last year with James Madison, being the most dynamic player on an offense that reached the College Football Playoffs. The incoming senior will be facing stiffer defenses in the Big Ten Conference than he did in the Sun Belt Conference but the talent is still apparent.
Knight is a small but sturdy back, standing at 5’7” and 193 lbs. In 2025, Knight totaled 1,373 rushing yards and added another 397 yards through the air, finding the end zone 10 times.
California Post writer Ben Bolch wrote about Chesney singing Knight’s praises during training camp last week.
“He’s explosive, he’s just hard to put a pad on,” Chesney said of Knight. “He gets his pad level down, he sees it really, really clean. Then, he’s a threat out of the backfield and he does a great job in the protection game. So, you know, he’s complete.”
UCLA needs to find more consistent success on the ground aside from Nico Iamaleava scrambles. Knight and an improved offensive line might be capable of doing just that.
“He looks unbelievable,” Chesney said of Knight, before highlighting the rest of the Bruins’ running back room. “A lot of those guys are, though, too, so it’s one of those things that that’s not a group we’re feeling like we don’t have any depth in.”
Chesney and the Bruins will have options out of the backfield for the 2026 season, even if Knight ends up as the focal point.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Bob Chesney knows he's got a star in running back Wayne Knight