Jaylan Knighton
Jaylan Knighton
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Three head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. 2023 brought the first one: All-AAC. The receipt: 35 rush yds, 16 rec yds against BYU — Week 2, 2024.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
Career Arc
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2023)
All-AAC
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2024
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Neal Brown → Chad Scott. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 3 · RecognizedR09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
All-Conference HM / 2nd team. Conference recognition has started.
Recognition
Production
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2023)
All-AAC
Career stats
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
West Virginia
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Running back · West Virginia
Returning around him
- 26% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: -16 net (34 in / 50 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
West Virginia · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #63 · 2026 recruiting class #25
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Treshaun Ward’s 2023 season.
Matches Treshaun on
Differs from Treshaun on
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Andrew Body’s path through Alabama State.
Andrew Body
Gerrid Doaks
Matches Andrew on
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Malik Jackson's senior season at Jacksonville State (2023).
Matches Malik on
Player DNA
Players who play like Jaylan Knighton
Development
Development Trajectory · rushing yards
2021–2024-92%
Sharp dropoff (-92%) — career inflection point.