On3 Industry 5-star QB Deuce Knight signs with Auburn

Five-star Quarterback Deuce Knight of Lucedale (Miss.) George County signed with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

SIGNING DAY THREAD – MEMBERS ONLY

The Knight File

Position: Quarterback

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4.5 / 208 pounds

Key trait: Knight has one of the biggest arms in the class of 2025. He can launch the ball downfield without straining.

On3 Industry Ranking: (96.51) No. 24 overall, No. 5 QB, No. 2 in Mississippi

Commitment date: Oct. 2, 2024

Chose Auburn over: Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Tennessee

Time of enrollment: January

Notable: Knight visited for nearly every Auburn home game while still committed to Notre Dame. He was somewhat silently committed while not changing his commitment status publicly. After a rollercoaster, Knight finally flipped from the Irish to the Tigers. Also, interestingly, Knight is a lefty at quarterback.

Quoteworthy: “Coach (Hugh) Freeze, he thinks we can both do some special things with the offense. We are both Mississippi boys. He says to come over to Alabama and take over college football.”

Breakdown

****Breakdown written by Auburn Live Recruiting Analyst Cole Pinkston

RAW ATHLETICISM: This was in consideration for Knight’s key trait. This is where everything that Knight brings to the table as a quarterback takes a big leap in terms of ceiling. He is a 4.5 40 runner, has excellent long speed, and escapes from pressure in the pocket often. 

ARM TALENT: Arm talent goes with power and ability to make throws at different angles. Knight, at this point, has one of the more intriguing arm talents in the class of 2025. He is a lefty who can beam a ball over the middle, or add touch to a deep ball. He can pretty much hit any throw on the field. We have not seen too many limitations in this regard.

THROW UNDER PRESSURE: Knight often stands in rather than trying to pull a houdini. He will back up or just stand in and make his throw. He trusts his arm talent more than his legs, which is somewhat unusual for a high school quarterback. It’s usually the other way around. Knight seems to remain calm in these situations for the most part. 

ACCURACY: When Knight is given some space, he doesn’t miss much. When he is under durress, he still hits a high percentage of his throws. As far as how it translates, I think this is one trait that is somewhat unknown. He looks good, but does it sustain. There is a question about touch and trajectory on the intermediate throws. 

RPO/READS: Knight is good at these plays, but they can look a bit messy at this point. Of course, his school does not dive into the RPO world too much, but we have seen him in multi-read situations. He seems to be fine, but not elite. 

OPERATION: Knight runs a clean operation. He protects the ball pretty well and keeps things moving on time and ahead of the chains. From what we can tell, Knight is not apt to cut-off a play early. He likes to hold out and let things develop. He took a few sacks for it, but seems to sacrifice this in order to keep thigns clean. 

PLAY-MAKING ABILITY: Knight makes most plays with his arm right now. He has not yet realized how his athleticism can make defenses pay. He prefers staying in the pocket and making the play from there. Still, he makes play after play in that style. As long as a play is made, it does not matter how it was done. Knight has so much to build on from a playmaking standpoint. 

OBSCURE TRAIT: Extending plays. Knight has the speed and athleticism, but he knows his arm is always more dangerous. When he gets out of the pocket, he is good at finding a way to extend a play and allow players to get open. He does not love leaving the pocket, but is fully capable.