How Wayne Knight Turning Into National Star for UCLA

UCLA football has a star on its hands.

Through three weeks of the season, running back Wayne Knight has separated himself from the pack and shown that he is the most valuable piece of this offense.

In the Bruins' Week Three win over Purdue, Knight accounted for 200 yards of offense and, funnily enough, scored his lowest touchdown total of the season with two trips to the end zone.

Wayne Knight Continues To Find the End Zone

Sep 19, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Wayne Knight (3) scores on a 6-yard touchdown run against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Knight now has an incredible eight rushing touchdowns this season, matching the Bruins' entire season total a year ago. What Knight has been able to do in only three games has been nothing short of amazing and exciting for UCLA fans.

In the 52-38 win over Purdue in a late-night shootout, Knight ran for 177 yards and tallied another 23 through the air. Knight doubled his season total against the Boilermakers, bringing his rushing yard total to 345 for the season. He carried the ball 18 times against Purdue and averaged nearly a first down every single time he touched the ball, with 9.8 yards per carry.

Sep 12, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA running back Wayne Knight (3) celebrates after completing a touchdown during the second half against San Diego State at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So far, Knight has not only been one of the best backs in the Big Ten, but he should now be getting some national recognition.

Passing Game Was More Involved in Week Three

UCLA dialed up the passing game as well in Week Three, and Knight still managed to put up arguably better numbers than the previous two weeks. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw 31 times against Purdue, surpassing his previous rate of 22 attempts in both the Cal and San Diego State games.

Sep 19, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) throws the ball in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Knight would also get his highest volume of carries so far this season, with eight and 13 carries being his previous volume across Weeks One and Two.

As this season goes on for UCLA, the run game has been elite for the Bruins and will no doubt continue to be the focal point of this offense. UCLA ran for a season-high 369 yards total on the Boilermakers, with four different ball carriers surpassing 50 yards.

Each ball carrier averaged over six yards per carry, a true testament to how dynamic and dominant this UCLA run game has been. With Wayne Knight emerging as the true star of this offense, the Bruins will head deeper into conference play with a scary attack that can clearly put up impressive numbers on the ground.

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