Wayne Knight stars early in UCLA football camp: He looks unbelievable

Bob Chesney, who doesn’t divulge much about scheme specifics, nearly slipped.Given the topic, the new UCLA football coach couldn’t help himself.He’s just so excited about Wayne Knight, the tiny running back who’s followed him on this cross-country journey from James Madison.“He looks unbelievable, Chesney said Tuesday before venturing into what, for him, qualifies as dangerous territory.“Today, he did … there’s a couple things that he did – I don’t want to name the plays and the moments,” the coach continued, finally catching himself, “I was about to do that – but ultimately he’s done a really great job.”Reporters who ventured to Great Park in Irvine were asked not to report on the team periods, meaning there was nothing they could add to Chesney’s description of the 5-foot-7 running back who has been an early standout in training camp.After being limited in spring practices with an undisclosed injury, Knight has quickly recaptured top form in his bid to become the team’s top ballcarrier in a spirited battle with returners Jaivian Thomas and Anthony Woods.“He’s explosive, he’s just hard to put a pad on,” Chesney said of Knight.“He gets his pad level down, he sees it really, really clean.

Then, he’s a threat out of the backfield and he does a great job in the protection game.So, you know, he’s complete.“A lot of those guys are, though, too, so it’s one of those things that that’s not a group we’re feeling like we don’t have any depth in.”The running backs should benefit from a fortified offensive line that Chesney said “did an unbelievable job” of picking up third-down blitzes Tuesday while also being “phenomenal” in opening holes for the interior run game.Before the Bruins left campus for their four practice sessions in Orange County, Knight showed both the patience and tremendous burst that made him a second-team All-American in 2025 with 2,039 all-purpose yards for a team that reached the Colleg...