Big Ten Rushing Leaders After Week 4: Knight Leads, Beebe Soars

Who is leading the rush?

Wayne Knight of UCLA holds the top spot in the Big Ten for rushing yards and touchdowns after the first four weeks. He has 445 yards and nine scores, which is the second-most in the whole nation. The title race is still open, but Knight is the clear front-runner right now. Indiana’s Lee Beebe Jr. also made a big jump after stepping in for an injured teammate.

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The numbers show a tight race for the top five spots. You can see how depth on a team matters when a backup takes over and runs wild. This week’s stats prove that any running back can change the game if they get the ball enough.

Knight’s dominance on the road

Sep 19, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Wayne Knight (3) scores on a 6-yard touchdown run against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA running back Wayne Knight continues to impress the league with another strong showing, according to Yahoo Sports. He rushed for 100 yards in a road win against Maryland. His nine touchdowns are just two behind Florida’s Jaden Baugh, who leads the nation with 11 scores. Knight is tied for second in the nation for touchdowns with West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins Jr.

It is rare to see a player lead the conference in both yards and scores this early in the season. Knight has 445 total yards, which puts him ahead of Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond by just seven yards. Raymond has 438 yards and four touchdowns. The gap between first and second place is thin, but Knight’s scoring ability gives him the edge.

King Miller of USC sits in third place with 412 yards and three touchdowns. The top three runners have all found the end zone at least three times. This shows that the best running backs in the Big Ten are also the most dangerous scorers. You cannot ignore a back who can run for 100 yards and score twice in a game.

Beebe Jr. makes his mark

Sep 25, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Lee Beebe Jr. (29) runs the ball past Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Brenden Deasfernandes (3) during the first half at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana’s Lee Beebe Jr. is the biggest story of the week. He stepped in for injured starter Turbo Richard against Northwestern. Beebe Jr. rushed for 203 yards in that single game. That huge performance pushed him to fourth in the Big Ten rushing rankings with 398 total yards.

Beebe Jr. also has three touchdowns to his name. His rise shows why having quality depth is so important for a team like Indiana. When the starter goes down, the backup did not just hold the line. He took over the game and put up numbers that rival the top players in the conference.

Turbo Richard is still on the list in fifth place with 383 yards and four touchdowns. It is interesting that two Indiana backs are in the top five. This means the Hoosiers have a strong running attack even with the injury. The team will likely keep feeding both backs to keep the defense guessing.

The rest of the leaderboard

Nebraska’s Jamal Rule sits in sixth place with 333 yards and five touchdowns. He is one of the few players on the list with more scores than yards per game would suggest. Cam Edwards of Michigan State is next with 304 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue’s Fame Ijeboi sits eigth in the top ten with 289 yards and six touchdowns. He has a high scoring rate similar to Knight and Rule.

Iowa’s Kamari Moulton has 284 yards and two touchdowns. He is just ahead of Ohio State’s Bo Jackson, who has 283 yards and two scores. The race for the bottom of the top ten is very tight. A single big game could move any of these players up the chart.

Penn State has a new leading rusher in James Peoples. He transferred from Ohio State and took over the top spot on his new team. Peoples has 199 yards and two touchdowns with an average of 5.38 yards per carry. He passed Carson Hansen, who has 180 yards and one touchdown. Peoples ranks 20th in the Big Ten overall. The Nittany Lions are trying to fix a running game that has not performed well so far.

If your team relies on the run, you need to look at the depth chart. Lee Beebe Jr. proved that a backup can carry a team if the starter gets hurt. Wayne Knight shows that a single player can dominate the conference stats early on. The gap between the leaders is small, so every yard counts.

The Big Ten rushing race is wide open after Week 4. No one has a huge lead that cannot be caught. Teams like Indiana and UCLA have found their rhythm. Other teams are still looking for answers.

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