Montana’s record-setting running back will not get a chance to add to his totals for some time.
Friday after, Skyline Sports confirmed through multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation that Marcus Knight has suffered a torn ACL that will keep him out indefinitely.
Knight suffered the injury during Montana’s preparation for two spring football games that will complete a 29-practice spring session for a team that hasn’t officially played a game since December of 2019.
Voice of the Griz Riley Corcoran confirmed the injury with Montana head coach Bobby Hauck during his pre-game radio show before UM’s game Saturday against Central Washington.
Knight, the 2019 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and a preseason All-American entering 2020 before the fall season was cancelled, had a record-breaking year his first season as a Grizzly. The former Citrus College running back set UM records for rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns (25) for a Griz team that won 10 games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs.
Each record was previously held by Chase Reynolds, who still holds UM’s career rushing yards record and played six seasons in the NFL.
The only player to score more touchdowns at the Division I level in 2019 was Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, who went on to become a 2nd round NFL Draft pick and the starting running back for the Indianapolis Colts for most of last season.
Knight earned third-team All-Big Sky honors after becoming the 13th Griz to rush for 1,000 yards, and the first to do it since 2014. Knight finished with 1,030 yards and also became the only Grizzly ever to score three or more touchdowns in three different games, finishing with five touchdown hat tricks for an offense that averaged 36.7 points per game.
The San Juan Capistrano, California native had three games of 100 yards rushing, including rushing for a career-high 148 yards on UM’s win over Monmouth in the non-conference. Knight also caught 34 passes for 277 yards.
On the first UM football depth chart of 2021, sophomore Nick Ostmo was listed as the No. 1 running back while true freshman Xavier Harris was listed No. 2.
Ostmo, a powerful 6-foot, 221-pounder from Portland, was Montana’s second-leading rusher behind Knight last season. He finished with 319 yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries. He also caught eight passes for 83 yards and a score.
Harris is a 5-foot-10, 180-pound burner from Oxnard, California. He earned a 3-star recruiting rating from 24/7 Sports after rushing for 3,669 yards and scoring 58 touchdowns in 35 career games at Oxnard High. He also received interest from Columbia, Arizona and Arizona State before choosing Montana.
