[2024] Subscriber Player Highlights

[Sarge]

This will be an ongoing topic that will highlight an individual player selected by a coach who is a subscriber in the discord! Here we'll shine a spot light on some known (and maybe unknown) players around the college football landscape. Let's jump on in!

Stanford Cardinals - Coach: @Ricky Campbell


 

Vontae Knebel Jr. is heading into his senior year and is heralded as one of the best running back prospects in the upcoming draft and lovers of former Hawaii standout and now NFL rookie Richard Bianchi might want to take a look at the numbers Vontae Knebel has put up and prepare to blush.

2023 Highlights (National Ranking):
Rushing Yards (1,854): 12th
Rushing TDs (17): T9th
Receiving Yards (538): Top 30 among RBs
Total Touchdowns (19)
2,392 All-Purpose yards
6.55 yards per touch (Total Yards / receptions+carries)

Last season (2023), Vontae Knebel was #12 in the nation in total rushing yards. #1 thru #11 all played more games than him, the average being at least 2 more games than Vontae played in given Stanford's luck last season and barely missing a bowl as the team went 5-7. If you think that's incredible for a Junior, try looking at his true Sophmore year stats.

2022 Highlights (National Ranking):
Rushing Yards (2,671): 2nd
Rushing TDs (23): T3rd
Receiving Yards (564): Top 25 among RBs
Total Touchdowns (27) 
3,235 All-Purpose yards
6.28 yards per touch (Total Yards / receptions+carries)

Knebel has been carrying (literally and metaphorically) the Stanford Cardinal on his back for two entire seaons and you'd be hard pressed to find a more impressive player at the running back position in 2024. Last year in 2023 Knebel took on less of a workload at the discrestion of the coaches but it didn't affect his numbers whatsoever. Both in 2022 and 2023 the leader of Stanford's offense was a first down machine and was as guaranteed as anyone in the country to give five yards as he averaged 5.83 yards per carry both seasons!

Of note in Vontae's development is that his fumbles in 2022, 12, dropped (no pun intended) dramatically to 4 between rushing and receiving duties combined. Ball security wasn't the issue in 2023 but more of the lack of sustained drives as the program moved on to a new Quarterback. 

With his senior season coming up, Vontae Knebel has his eyes forward on bringing Stanford back to bowl season and more in their new conference. If you weren't familiar with his work, you are now.