Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Knox earns respect of teammates, punishes defenders as Herd back
11/28/2018 3:49:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall plays at Virginia Tech this Saturday at noon
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brenden Knox has an affinity for initiating contact with defenders who dare to try and bring him to the ground. Those collisions, when the Marshall freshman running back has the ball in his hands, are the only sounds one will hear from him.
"When you're a good football player who is not getting a chance to play, it is easy to complain," said senior offensive lineman Jordan Dowrey. "He never complained."
Knox, who redshirted in 2017, began the season buried on the depth chart at running back. A special teams contributor, Knox did not receive his first rushing attempt until the Thundering Herd's 30-13 win against Charlotte on Nov. 10. Including that backfield debut, Knox has carried 56 times for 281 yards and one touchdown since. He has two 100-yard rushing games in the last three, leading the team in rushing all three games. Marshall is 3-0 in those meetings.
This might seem like an out-of-nowhere story, but Knox has always been lurking in the shadows awaiting an opportunity. Marshall is flush with running backs. Sophomore Tyler King leads the team in rushing yards, and did the same a year ago. Senior Keion Davis is among the top 20 rushers in school history. Anthony Anderson leads the team in rushing touchdowns this season.
Then, there is Knox, a native of Columbus, Ohio, who has emerged late in the season as Marshall prepares to travel to Virginia Tech this Saturday (noon) in a non-conference season finale.
"Knox does what he's supposed to do on every play," Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. "He's built like a running back; solid, 600-pound squatter. It doesn't look all the time like he's moving fast, but he's moving. And then you saw a couple times guys took a couple shots on him and he kept going through them. He's a bowling ball and has great vision. I could talk about the next 10 minutes about the type of kid he is and that's why he's been doing what he's been doing the last few weeks he's been playing for us."
Knox debuted against Charlotte with a 22-carry, 116-yard performance, including a touchdown. He followed that up with a 56-yard effort in a 23-0 shutout of UTSA. Then, in arguably his best all-around performance, Knox rushed 19 times for 109 yards in a 28-25 win against FIU last Saturday. The Panthers were 8-3 with a berth to the Conference USA championship game on the line, but it was Knox who delivered the knockout blow.
Knox gained 45 of his game-high 109 yards on the final drive of the game, which started with 4:47 left of the fourth quarter. FIU had all three of its timeouts. Knox had a 31-yard rush on first down and 10 to advance Marshall from its own 48 to FIU's 21. On second and 8 – and with FIU out of timeouts – Knox ran for 11 yards to lead the Herd offense into the victory formation.
Now, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound product of Franklin Heights High School in Ohio is on everyone's radar.
"The sky is the limit for me," Knox said. "I have to stay in the training room, stay in the playbook and stay in the classroom and everything will be fine."
Knox was born in Detroit, Michigan, and his family moved to the Columbus area when he was 2 years old. He rushed for nearly 3,000 yards during his final two seasons of high school, but did not connect with the Herd and running backs coach Pepe Pearson until late in the recruiting process.
"I thought Marshall was the best opportunity for me," Knox said. "Huntington has a small town vibe that helps me focus on athletics and academics."
Knox, who received his first career start at FIU and has three seasons of eligibility remaining, said he admires the playing styles of NFL running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Le'Veon Bell.
"I pride myself on being like them," Knox said. "I'm pretty balanced for the most part. Pretty hard-nosed. I'm going to do whatever I'm asked to do, and hopefully I can get it done."
There is little doubt Knox has won over his teammates with that attitude. When King, Davis and Anderson were in the spotlight, Knox patiently waited his turn. He rooted on his fellow backfield mates and watched and learned, and found other ways to contribute. At Southern Mississippi, the week before Knox made his running back debut, he recovered a fumble on a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
The willingness to deliver a hit, too, has commanded respect from teammates.
"When you have a running back who is willing to run you over, it changes how you have to tackle him," Dowrey said. "That means you're going to have your head down when you tackle, but when you drop your head down, he'll make you miss. When you have a guy who is going to lower his shoulder, the attitude of the defense has to change because he's going to run you over."
Knox was named the team's Offensive Champion for his performance at FIU, and he should receive plenty more chances this Saturday in Blacksburg, Virginia, as Marshall tries to end Virginia Tech's streak of 25 consecutive bowl trips.
"I'm so happy that he's finally gotten the chance because he's not only a really good football player, but he's a good guy," Dowrey said. "He's ridiculously strong. He's a 600-pound squatter. He's a strong dude. Plays hard. Plays physical. He does everything right, and then you put the ball in his hand and he goes and makes the most of it.
"As consistent as he is in every other area of his life, I'm really excited to see how he's going to develop."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a six-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
