No UCLA Bruin should be needing any extra reason to be fired up for Saturday night against the Cal Bears. New UCLA running back Wayne Knight might have gotten a bit more motivation for his Bruins debut.
Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi accidentally called Knight “Jaden” while previewing the matchup. Prior to messing up Knight’s name, Lupoi spoke complimentary of the UCLA coaching staff led by Bob Chesney.
“I got a lot of respect for this head coach, his body of work. Both at James Madison and Holy Cross,” Lupoi said. “Basically every great player that was on a playoff team joined him at UCLA, with the running back Jayden Knight.”
Lupoi complimented a few other JMU transfers, including Landon Ellis, who he called “No. 11 who was No. 13 last season.”
The
expectations for Knight this season are already through the roof. Several publications viewed the running back as a potential All-Conference player after starring in the Sun Belt Conference in 2025.
Last year Knight compiled 10 total touchdowns and led the Sun Belt with 1,373 rushing yards while adding in another 397 yards receiving. The success of Knight and the running game is a major question mark this season for the Bruins, as UCLA hasn’t been able to run the ball with success since joining the Big Ten Conference.
UCLA fans still need to get used to Knight’s game, but the senior running back has plenty of reasons to be running extra hard Saturday night.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Cal coach Tosh Lupoi calls UCLA running back Wayne Knight 'Jayden'
