2021 Football Roster
Sep 27 (Sat)
12:00 AM
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Zonovan Knight
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Bailey, N.C.
- High School:
- Southern Nash
2021 SEASON:
• Currently posts the top yards per carry average in Wolfpack career history (for players with a minimum of 200 attempts): 5.49.
• His 26.6 yard career average on kick returns ranks second in the Wolfpack record books.
• Ranks third among returning ACC players in rushing yards (1,533), tied for fourth touchdowns scored (16), third in all-purpose yards (2,043).
• Missed spring workouts after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.
2020 SEASON:
• A third-team All-ACC honoree for 2020.
• Recipient of the team’s 2020 Ted Brown Award for top offensive back.
• Team’s leading rusher with 788 yards.
• Scored seven rushing touchdowns over the last six games or the season.
• Named the ACC RB of the Week for the win over No. 21 Liberty when he tallied all-purpose 166 yards.
• Ranked ninth in the ACC in TD scoring.
• Ranked sixth in the ACC in all purpose yards per game this season: 104.4 ypg.
• Averaged 5.51 yards per carry in 2020, the No. 11 mark in school history.
• Led the team in explosive plays (10+ rushing/20+ passing) with 25.
• Only the fourth player in school history (first since 2016) to return a kickoff 100 yards. He did so for a score vs. Miami.
• Named to the Paul Hornung Honor Roll and earned ACC Speciailst of the Week honors for that performance.
• A fourth-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Athlon and Phil Steele.
2019 SEASON:
• Started seven games at running back and was the team’s leading rusher.
• Averaged 5.48 yards per rush for the season - the 13th-best single-season mark in school history and the third-best mark ever by a freshman.
• Ranked 12th in the ACC in rushing with 745 yards.
• Scored on a 53-yard rush vs. Louisville - the longest run play by the Pack.
• Went out after just 9 snaps at Wake Forest with an injury but came back to rush for a career high 139 yards vs. Clemson.
• Reached the 100-yard mark in a game earlier in his career than any Wolfpack player since Tremayne Stephens in 1994 - he had 119 in his second-game (Western Carolina). Also reached 100 yards at Georgia Tech.
• Scored on his first career carry in the win over ECU.
• Earned the team’s Ted Brown Award for Offensive Back of the Year and the Torry Holt Award for Most Valuable Offensive Player.
• Named to the PFF All-Freshman Team for 2019.
• An early enrollee (January 2019).
HIGH SCHOOL:
* Played running back and corner back at Southern Nash High School for coach Brian Foster.
• Career Stats: Southern Nash’s all-time leading rusher. Finished with 5,073 yards rushing and 71 rushing touchdowns. Reached the 100 yard rushing mark in 23 of 38 career games. Averaged 133.5 yards per game, 12.5 yards per carry. Also caught 12 passes for 157 yards and four more TDs. Finished his career with 6,007 all-purpose yards and 80 touchdowns.
• Senior Stats: Rushed for 2,054 yards (school’s all-time record) and 26 touchdowns. Had at least 100 yards rushing in 10 of the 11 games. Averaged 186.7 yards per game, and 16.6 yards per carry. Also turned in 28 yards receiving, 305 yards on kickoff returns and 102 yards on punt returns for 2,489 all-purpose yards. Averaged 226.3 yards per game. On Senior Night, posted 285 yards rushing on 23 carries and a TD. Team advanced to the NC 3A state second round and finished 10-1.
• Junior Stats: Rushed for 1,877 yards and 27 touchdowns. Averaged 134.1 yards per game. Team posted a 12-2 record.
• Sophomore Stats: Tallied 1,142 rushing yards with 18 rushing scores.
• Honors: Played in the 2018 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game. Named North Carolina’s Offensive MVP, finishing with 148 yards rushing and a 61-yard TD.
• Rankings: No. 13 recruit in North Carolina and the No. 21 running back nationally by Rivals.com. No. 16 recruit in North Carolina and the No. 27 running back nationally by 247Sports.com.
PERSONAL
• Major: Criminology.
KNIGHT CAREER STATS
| Year | GP-GS | Ply | Att | Yds | TD | LP | Rec-Yds | TD | KOR-Yds-TD |
| 2019 | 12-7 | 309 | 136 | 745 | 5 | 53 | 7-45 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 12-0 | 339 | 143 | 788 | 10 | 36 | 20-126 | 0 | 14-373-1 |
| Totals | 24-7 | 648 | 279 | 1533 | 15 | 53 | 27-181 | 0 | 14-373-1 |