The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN his second season with the University of Virginia-Wise Cavaliers, Rondre Knowles-Tener has become a force on the defensive line.

The junior defensive tackle leads the Cavs with 5.5 sacks in their first year of play in the South Atlantic Conference.

Already with career high sack numbers this season, he also reached several other career high marks this season with 24 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and two quarterback hurries.

He opened the season with one sack and four tackles, including one for a loss against Chowan University. In game two he had a season high two sacks and four tackles against Tennessee Tech. He also recorded sacks against Carson-Newman, Tusculum and Newberry (0.5).

As a sophomore, he finished his first full season of college football on the field with 21 tackles (including three for a loss), three sacks, two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries and one field goal block.

After struggling to earn playing time over the last two seasons with the James Madison Dukes, Knowles-Tener decided to leave the programme and transfer to the Cavs.

Coming out of high school, Knowles-Tener originally committed to the East Carolina Pirates but eventually chose to join the programme at James Madison. He sat out his true freshman season last year as a redshirt but was expected to be an important factor in the Dukes’ plans for its defensive front line moving forward.

The 6’1”, 295-pound defensive lineman is a former standout performer at Tabernacle Baptist Academy and also anchored the defensive line at Liberty Christian Academy. Knowles-Tener drew interest from a number of elite Division I programmes, including Wake Forest and East Carolina.