WVU Football
Jaylan Knighton Trying to Rebound From Knee Injury | WVU Football All 105
All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2025 WVU Football Roster.
A five year veteran of college football who began his career at Miami and later spent three seasons at SMU, Jaylan Knighton transferred to WVU Football following the spring practice period.
The 5-foot-10, 185 pound running back enjoyed major usage between 2021 and 2023, eventually developing into the Mustangs featured back, but a knee injury cut his season short after just two games last season. West Virginia already has their starting tailback for this season, with Jahiem White viewed as one of the top returning players at the position in all of college football. At the very least, Knighton will give the Mountaineers a safety net of experience and production.
11 • Jaylan Knighton, redshirt senior running back
Last year: Knighton took a redshirt year with SMU after suffering a season-ending injury two games in.
Stats: Knighton picked up 1,729 rushing yards on 359 carries between 2021 and 2023, good for 4.8 yards per carry.
Camp outlook: Jahiem White has the Mountaineers starting running back position locked up.
Projected role: White pushes Knighton to a backup role, whether as a change of pace option or a reserve.
Accolades, highlights: Knighton earned a second team All-AAC nod in 2023, his best season in college. While he entered 2024 with a fair amount of hype, an early season injury cut short his hopes of a repeat performance.
Coverage Links:
