Biography
Electrifying super senior enters his second year at ULM as a starting inside receiver (Y position) and kick returner . . . preseason All-Sun Belt selection at wide receiver by Pro Football Focus (third team), Athlon Sports (third team) and Phil Steele (fourth team) . . . transfer from Akron accounted for nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards (1,995) as a three-year letterman for the Zips (2018-20) . . . has appeared in 40 career games (Akron and ULM combined), including 20 starts at wide receiver . . . has 88 career receptions for 1,172 yards (13.3 avg.) and three touchdowns . . . his career totals also include 70 kickoff returns for 1,270 yards (18.1 avg.) . . . has amassed 2,819 career all-purpose yards on 230 touches (12.3 yards per play) . . . 2021 SEASON (JUNIOR): Named to the 2021 All-Sun Belt Third Team, as selected by the conference’s head football coaches and media panel . . . earned Pro Football Focus All-Sun Belt Second-Team honors . . . selected as the team’s Offensive MVP by the coaching staff . . . started all 12 games at inside receiver . . . led the Warhawks in receptions (45), receiving yards (588), touchdown receptions (3) and all-purpose yards (824) . . . his 2021 receiving numbers (receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions) surpassed his three-year totals at Akron . . . ranked among the Sun Belt leaders in combined kick return yards (sixth at 239), receptions (11th at 3.8 per game) and receiving yards (11th) . . . 26 of his 45 catches resulted in a first down (58 percent) . . . also led the team in first down receptions (26), yards after the catch (236) and explosive receptions (+15 yards: 17) . . . returned 12 kickoffs for 219 yards (18.3 avg.) and six punts for 20 yards . . . scored on a season-long 46-yard reception from Rhett Rodriguez in the season finale at the No. 23 Ragin’ Cajuns . . . led ULM with five receptions for 57 yards at LSU, including a 28-yard TD grab from Rodriguez in the second quarter . . . had five receptions for 76 yards vs. Arkansas State, including three that resulted in a first down and two for more than 15 yards . . . had four catches for 48 yards at Texas State, with three that resulted in a first down including a long of 21 yards . . . matched his career high with six receptions for 75 yards vs. South Alabama, including his first career TD reception on a 9-yard grab from Chandler Rogers in the second quarter . . . his one-handed, 15-yard catch with the assistance of his helmet on ULM’s first scoring drive in the third quarter vs. Liberty was ranked as the No. 1 play on ESPN’s SportsCenter at Night Top 10 . . . had five grabs and matched a season-high with 78 receiving yards against Georgia State, including a 40-yard gain . . . hauled in a team-high four receptions for 47 yards at No. 16 Coastal Carolina; three of his catches came in the first quarter . . . served as one of the game captains at Coastal Carolina . . . equaled his career best with six catches for 78 yards against Jackson State in the home opener . . . had six receptions for 58 yards in his ULM debut at Kentucky and was named the team’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week (shared honors with Keydrell Lewis); four of his catches produced first downs against the Wildcats, including third-down grabs of 14 and 15 yards from Rodriguez on ULM’s first scoring drive (12 plays for 43 yards) . . . AKRON HIGHLIGHTS | 2020 SEASON: Received COVID-19 season of competition waiver . . . saw action in all six games in 2020 . . . finished second on the team in rushing (39 carries for 194 yards; 5.0 avg.) and all-purpose yards (660; 110.0 yards per game) . . . led the Zips in kickoff returns with 22 for 450 yards (20.5 avg.) . . . paced the ground attack with a career-best 13 carries for 58 yards in the season finale at No. 24 Buffalo, including a career-long 24-yard run; also returned three kickoffs for 70 yards, including a career-long 39-yard runback; finished with 135 all-purpose yards against the Bulls . . . returned five kickoffs for 90 yards vs. Miami (Ohio) . . . accounted for a season-high 179 all-purpose yards at Kent State; set career highs with eight kickoff returns for 171 yards; his eight returns tied the school single-game record . . . rushed 11 times for a career-high 74 yards in the season opener vs. Western Michigan, including a career-long 24-yard gain; produced 139 all-purpose yards (2 catches for 18 yards; 2 kickoff returns for 47 yards) . . . 2019 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Appeared in all 12 games in 2019, including six starts at wide receiver . . . his 833 all-purpose yards (69.4 yards per game) led the Zips . . . ranked among the team leaders in receiving yards (second with 430) and receptions (tied for third with 31) . . . caught at least one pass in each of the 12 games . . . led the team in punt returns (7 for 44 yards; 6.3 avg.) and finished second in kickoff returns (16 for 356 yards; 22.2 avg.) . . . returned three kickoffs for 85 yards (28.3 avg.) in the season finale vs. Ohio . . . amassed a career-best 227 all-purpose yards vs. Eastern Michigan; set career highs for receptions (6) and receiving yards (121); also returned four kickoffs for a career-high 95 yards, including a career-long 39-yard runback . . . returned three kickoffs for 88 yards (29.3 avg.) at Bowling Green . . . post his first career 100-yard receiving game at UMass with five catches for 100 yards . . . awarded a scholarship prior to the 2019 season . . . 2018 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Walk-on presented the Harry “Doc” Smith Award as the top freshman on offense . . . saw action in 10 contests in 2018, including starts in the last two games (at Ohio and at South Carolina) at wide receiver . . . led the Zips in kickoff returns (16 for 245 yards; 15.3 avg.) and punt returns (11 for 142 yards; 12.9 avg.) . . . also had nine catches for 129 yards (14.3 avg.); all of his receptions came over the last three games of the season . . . his 516 all-purpose yards ranked fourth on the team . . . also contributed five tackles (3 solos, 2 assists) on special teams . . . caught three passes for 16 yards; returned two punts for 25 yards and one kickoff for 13 yards at South Carolina . . . accounted for a season-high 162 all-purpose yards in his first career start at Ohio; set season highs for receptions (4), receiving yards (94), kickoff returns (6) and kickoff return yards (68); his career-long 50-yard reception from Kato Nelson set up a fourth-quarter touchdown . . . produced 117 combined kick return yards at Eastern Michigan; scored his first career touchdown on a 70-yard punt return late in the second quarter; returned two kickoffs for 47 yards at EMU; also credited with two special teams tackles . . . 2017 SEASON AT OHIO STATE: Enrolled as a preferred walk-on and redshirted . . . HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS AND PERSONAL DATA: Four-year letterman and three-year starter for Coach Jim Henson at Jefferson (Ohio) Area High School . . . closed out his prep career as the all-time leading rusher in Ashtabula County with 5,850 rushing yards and 66 rushing touchdowns . . . named to The Associated Press Division IV All-Ohio First Team as a senior in 2016 . . . also selected Division IV Northeast Lakes District Offensive Player of the Year and Ashtabula County Player of the Year as a senior . . . became the first county player to eclipse the 2,000-yard milestone in a single season, finishing with 2,233 rushing yards and 23 TDs in 2016 . . . averaged 11.0 yards per carry as a senior . . . recorded six 200-yard rushing games in 2016, including four in a row during one stretch . . . rushed for more than 300 yards in back-to-back games vs. Girard (28 carries for a school-record 379 yards and 5 TDs) and Lakeview (24 for 374 and 4 TDs) . . . amassed a career-best 468 all-purpose yards vs. Girard (1 catch for 21 yards; returned 2 kickoffs for 68 yards) . . .became a two-way starter as a senior, splitting time at cornerback and safety; totaled 12 pass break-ups in 10 games . . . earned third-team all-state and County Offensive Player of the Year honors as a junior after rushing for 1,593 yards and 21 TDs . . . gained more than 200 rushing yards in three games in 2015, including consecutive games vs. Liberty (258 yards and 4 TDs) and McKinley (season-high 314 yards and 4 TDs) . . . had a breakout sophomore year, finishing with 1,317 rushing yards and 13 TDs . . . posted nine 100-yard rushing games in 2014, including the last six in a row . . . rushed for a season-best 219 yards and two TDs in the season finale vs. Girard . . . also won four letters in track for the Falcons . . . born Jan. 12, 1999 . . . given name is Jeremiah Knight . . . son of Dana Knight . . . nicknamed “Boogie” at the age of 7 by his parents (late father John and mother Dana) while playing youth football because he was “shifty and really quick” with the ball in his hands . . . Yarbarker’s Larry Brown said “Boogie” Knight was “the best name in college football” in November 2021 . . . one of his older brothers, Johnny, played baseball at NCAA Division II Walsh University and spent the 2018 season with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers in the United Shore Professional Baseball League . . . earned his bachelor’s degree in sports studies/education from Akron in the summer of 2021 . . . pursuing a master’s in criminal justice at ULM.
