NC State will return plenty of talent in 2022; however, the Wolfpack must be ready for a fair amount of turnover at the running back position. Bam Knight will follow Ricky Person Jr. and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Given that Knight waited to announce, it seemed likely that he was headed for the NFL, although, like Person, Knight planned to play in the Holiday Bowl.
During the 2021 season, Knight ran for 753 yards and three touchdowns on 140 carries — good for 5.38 yards per carry. In three seasons with NC State, Knight ran for 2,286 yards and 18 touchdowns. Knight also grabbed 48 receptions with the Wolfpack, including 20 in 2021.
Wolfpack Nation, It truly has been a pleasure!❤️#Godsplan pic.twitter.com/Zi1osjRfKL
— Zonovan Knight (@knight_zonovan) December 30, 2021
While sharing carries, Knight and Person have been offensive mainstays for NC State the last few seasons. However, Knight was also known for his work on special teams.
Over the last two seasons, Knight returned 30 kickoffs: three of which went for touchdowns. Knight returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this year; he averaged 34.4 yards per kickoff return, too, which was No. 1 in the FBS among players with 15+ returns.
One of the top in-state running backs in the 2019 recruiting class, Knight initially committed to Duke — before flipping in the summer of 2018 to NC State.
Knight and Person combined for 275 carries and 1,379 rushing yards this season. Behind those two, sophomore Jordan Houston recorded the most carries among NC State running backs: 20 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.
There’s still plenty of talent at the running back position for NC State; the Pack could look to fill in the gaps with what’s already projected for the 2022 roster. However, this team also seems like an excellent candidate to look for a veteran back in the transfer portal.