UCLA’s offense has a chance to look a lot different next season, and the biggest swing piece might be the running back Bob Chesney brought with him from James Madison.
Wayne Knight is already being talked about as the most impactful transfer to land with the Bruins for the 2026 season, according to Fox Sports’ Michael Cohen. That’s not small praise for a team that added 45 players through the portal and used Chesney’s connections to stock the roster fast.
“None of the JMU additions are likely to play a larger role for the Bruins than Knight, who was a first-team All-Sun Belt performer in 2025 and also earned second-team All-America honors thanks to his wide-ranging versatility,” Cohen said.
Knight’s production at JMU explains why he drew that kind of attention. He was a central part of the Dukes’ run to the Sun Belt title and their College Football Playoff appearance, piling up nearly 1,400 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
He also made noise as a receiver with 40 catches for 397 yards and a score, and he chipped in on special teams with 20 punt returns for 180 yards. That all-purpose workload helped him set a new school record with 2,039 all-purpose yards.
Cohen also noted the one question that follows Knight into the Big Ten.
"In addition to rushing for nearly 1,400 yards and nine scores, Knight added value in the passing game (40 receptions, 397 yards, 1 TD) and on special teams (20 punt returns for 180 yards) to set a new school record for all-purpose yards with 2,039. There will be questions around whether his diminutive frame can withstand playing in the Big Ten, but it seems thoroughly unwise to doubt him.”
That kind of production would be a welcome jolt for UCLA after a rough year on the ground. Only one Bruin topped 400 rushing yards last season, and that was quarterback Nico Iamaleava with 505.
The backfield numbers behind him were modest. Jalen Berger led the running backs with 81 carries for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Jaivian Thomas and Anthony Woods each finished with 294 yards, with Thomas getting 81 carries and one touchdown, while Woods had 64 carries and no touchdowns.
The run game wasn’t just about the backs, either. UCLA’s offensive line struggled to create movement in the run game, but Chesney has attacked that problem through the portal as well. The line is now built around run-blocking additions, a major change from last season’s setup.
That matters because Knight brings more than just rushing ability. He gives UCLA a back who can impact the game on the ground, in the passing game and on special teams. With Woods and Thomas returning, the Bruins could have one of the more dangerous running back groups in the Big Ten if the line holds up behind them.
In Other News...
One UCLA Transfer Could Quiet A Major Fear In Chesneys Rebuild
Bob Chesney has spent much of his early UCLA rebuild trying to stabilize a wide receiver room that needed a reset, and the transfer haul has already grown to six players. One of the more intriguing additions is Leland Smith, whose path to Westwood has been anything but direct: he was recruited as a tight end, moved to wide receiver in college, and kept working his way through junior college at Fullerton College before landing at Purdue and then San Jose State.
Smiths appeal is easy to see for a staff looking for immediate help in 2026. His stop in San Jose State showed what he can be when the fit is right, while his time at Purdue was far quieter, which is part of why UCLA is betting on the version of him that produced on the outside and flashed the kind of reliability this offense has been missing. For a program trying to ease one of the bigger fears in a rebuild, that makes him a transfer worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Faces A Painfully Familiar Finish In Key O-Line Battle
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Washington has the most obvious built-in appeal with Doyal, given the local connection and the fact that the Huskies earned the final visit, often a meaningful late-stage advantage in recruiting. Even with insiders leaning that way, the outcome is still unresolved, and UCLA is waiting like the rest of the field for a call that could help shape the next move in its line-building plan. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Just Missed On A California Receiver Fans Wanted Badly
Eli Woodards commitment to Miami landed as another reminder of how hard it is for UCLA to win some of the biggest recruiting battles in California. The four-star receiver from Temecula had been one of the more coveted wideouts in the 2027 class, and his choice gave the Hurricanes another blue-chip addition to a class that already includes fellow five-star receiver Nick Lennear.
For UCLA, the miss stings a little more because Woodard had been on campus for an official visit and would have instantly become one of the highest-rated offensive pledges in the Bruins class. Instead, the in-state chase ended with him headed elsewhere, leaving UCLA to keep pressing for pass-catchers who can match that level of national attention. [Read more 🡒]