Only three weeks into the 2026 college football season, one UCLA player is being recognized for his stellar play for a second time this season.
Senior running back Wayne Knight was awarded Tuesday morning with the Paul Hornung National Player of the Week accolade following his performance during a 52-38 win against Purdue on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.
"Knight led a dominant performance for UCLA in the run game this past Saturday, totaling 177 yards on 18 carries (9.8 yards per carry) with two touchdowns. That total was the second-highest of his career, and it marked his third straight game with multiple running TDs. Knight added 52 yards on three kickoff returns and 23 receiving yards on three receptions to finish with 252 all-purpose yards,"
UCLA Athletics stated in a news release. "This is the second time in three weeks that Knight has been tabbed the Hornung Player of the Week, as he was also selected after his three-touchdown debut at California on Sept. 5.
"The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse is handed out annually to the most versatile player in college football. Knight was a member of the Hornung Award preseason watch list in 2026 after finishing as a finalist for the award in 2025 at James Madison... The Smyrna, Del. native has had a blistering start to the season, recording 345 rushing yards and eight touchdowns over his first three games of 2026. He is leading the FBS in total touchdowns (8), average yards per carry (8.85), and scoring (48 points). He’s also third in the country in all-purpose yards per game (168.67) and sixth in rushing yards per game (115.0).
"After entering the season never having recorded multiple rush TDs in a single game, Knight has now done it in three consecutive games to start his UCLA career. He’s the first Bruin with multiple TDs (non-passing) in three straight games since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2005, and the first with multiple rushing TDs in three straight contests since DeShaun Foster in 2001... Knight is leading a UCLA run attack that has combined for an FBS-best 14 rushing touchdowns and 286.7 yards per game (5th in FBS). The Bruins’ 14 rushing TDs so far this year are more than the team recorded in the entirety of the 2024-25 seasons combined."
The Bruins will be traveling across the country this weekend for their first Big Ten road game of the season, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday against Maryland.
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This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA football star Wayne Knight earns 2nd weekly award in 3-week span
