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Jersey Number 3
Wayne Knight
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Position:
- Running Back
- Hometown:
- Smyrna, Del.
- High School:
- Smyrna
- Major:
- Sociology
2025:
2024:
2023:
2022:
High School:
Personal:
- Associated Press Second Team All-American all-purpose player
- Sports Illustrated Second Team All-American all-purpose player
- USA Today Second Team All-American all-purpose player
- On3 Second Team All-American all-purpose player
- Phil Steele Third Team All-American all-purpose player
- HERO Sports Group of Five First Team All-American
- Paul Hornung Award Finalist
- Touchdown Club of Richmond Running Back of the Year
- First Team All-Sun Belt running back
- Sun Belt Football Championship Most Valuable Player
- All-ECAC Team
- JMU's Gary Clark Offensive MVP
- Started all 14 games at running back
- Sun Belt Conference Rushing Champion
- JMU Single-Season Record for All-Purpose Yards (2,039)
- Ranked third nationally in all-purpose yards per game (145.64), seventh in yards per carry (6.63) and 15th in rushing yards per game (98.1)
- Led Sun Belt in rushing yards and all-purpose yards
- Associated Press National Player of the Week (Week 15)
- Two-time Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll (Week Five, Week Six)
- Had 207 carries for 1,373 rushing yards and nine touchdowns
- Also made 40 receptions for 397 receiving yards and a touchdown, while averaging 22.25 per kickoff return (4 ret.) and 9.47 per punt return (19 returns)
- Five 100-yard rushing performances and six games with at least 150 all-purpose yards
- Career-highs of 211 rushing yards and 234 all-purpose yards (title game record) with a career-long 73-yard touchdown vs. Troy in Sun Belt Football Championship (Dec. 5)
- Rushed for 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries (7.9 avg.) while also caching four passes for 35 yards vs. Georgia Southern (Sept. 27); also tallied a career-best 199 all-purpose yards in Georgia Southern win
- Ran for 126 yards and a touchdown, which included a 58-yard score vs. Washington State (Nov. 22)
- Rushed for 110 yards with a long of 49 at Oregon (Dec. 20) in the College Football Playoff
- Also tallied 111 yards on the ground vs. Louisiana (Oct. 11)
- Had 197 all-purpose yards vs. App State, rushing for 94 and a score, making a career-high six receptions for 55 yards and gaining 48 yards on punt returns
- Gained 166 yards with two scores at Marshall (Nov. 8), running for 87 and a touchdown and tallying a season-high 79 receiving yards with a 49-yard touchdown catch to seal the win
- Rushed for 75+ yards in 11 games
- Caught three or more passes in nine games
- Season-long 22-yard punt return at Georgia State (Oct. 4)
- Season-long 29-yard kickoff return vs. Weber State (Aug. 30)
- JMU Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete (Fall 2025)
2024:
- Played in all 13 games, making two starts at running back
- Had 77 carries for 449 rushing yards and two touchdowns
- Averaged 5.8 yards per rush
- Also made 15 receptions for 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns
- Rushed for season-high 74 yards and touchdown while making two catches for 17 yards at Old Dominion (Nov. 16)
- Scored first two career touchdowns vs. Georgia State (Nov. 9), rushing for 18 yards and a score and making three receptions for 26 yards and an 18-yard TD grab
- First career 100-yard game with 61 rushing yards and career-best 41 receiving yards vs. Southern Miss (Oct. 26)
- Had career-long 59-yard rush and career-best 23-yard reception in USM win
- Career-high 12 rush attempts for 61 yards with a five-yard reception at App State (Nov. 30)
- Also ran for 61 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards and a touchdown vs. Marshall (Nov. 30)
- Had 63 rushing yards vs. Ball State (Sept. 28)
- Career-high four catches for 25 yards vs. Western Kentucky in Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 18)
- Rushed for at least 60 yards in five games and had at least 75 total yards in three outings
- Caught multiple passes in five games
- 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll
- JMU Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete (Spring 2025)
2023:
- Played in four games, redshirting to retain a year of eligibility
- Had four carries for 23 yards and one catch for 11 receiving yards vs. Bucknell (Sept. 2)
- Career-long 22-yard rush in Bucknell game
2022:
- Played in eight games
- Had five carries for -8 rushing yards
- Also tallied five receptions for 63 yards
- Averaged 21.8 yards on four kickoff returns
- Had a season-best 32-yard reception at Old Dominion (Nov. 12)
- Season-long 35-yard kickoff return vs. Georgia State (Nov. 19)
- JMU Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete (Spring 2023)
High School:
- DIAA 3A All-State honoree as a sophomore, junior and senior
- Named All-Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior
- Four-year varsity letterwinner
- Helped Smyrna to 2021 3A state championship game
- Part of Smyrna's 2019 and 2020 Division I playoff teams
- Also played for Northeast Elite 7v7
- Distinguished Honors
Personal:
- Son of Wade Knight and Yolanda Miller
- Has two brothers, William and Yamir, and a sister, Yolanda
- His brother, Yamir, was a receiver at JMU for two seasons
- His brother, William, was a running back at Delaware
- Majoring in sociology
Tuesday, September 08
Tuesday, September 08
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07
