Elite 2025 quarterback has Tennessee in top ten
Tennessee football is one of the final 10 programs still remaining in the recruitment of 2025 four-star quarterback Deuce Knight. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Knight, described as arguably the most athletic quarterback in the class, released his list of 10 on Friday.
The Vols were part of the final 10 alongside Notre Dame, Washington, TCU, Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Oregon
“My relationships with the staff are great,” Knight told On3’s Hayes Fawcett, while breaking down all 10 schools. “The offense is explosive, and what Coach (Josh) Heupel does with QBs speaks for itself.”
Deuce Knight ranked No. 28 overall in updated On300
Knight is a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and is ranked No. 85 overall in the class. He’s the No. 6 overall quarterback prospect in the country in 2025 and is ranked No. 3 overall in the state of Mississippi, out of George County High School.
The On3 ratings have Knight ranked No. 28 nationally, No. 4 among quarterbacks and No. 2 in the state of Mississippi.
“Deuce Knight has made a strong claim as the most athletic quarterback in the 2025 cycle and moves up around 35 spots to No. 28 overall in the updated On300,” Charles Power, On3’s Director of Scouting and Ranking, wrote of Knight on May 15.
“Knight checked in at 6-foot-4.5, 180-pounds at Elite 11’s Oxford regional and posted some eye-popping combine numbers. The Lucedale (Miss.) George County product ripped off a 4.53 second 40-yard dash, 4.39 second short shuttle and absolutely phenomenal 41.9-inch vertical.
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Tennessee’s quarterback production under Josh Heupel
Heupel over the last two seasons helped develop Hendon Hooker into a Heisman Trophy candidate and an NFL Draft pick. Hooker passed for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 24 games at Tennessee.
He had 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 11 games last season and 2,945 yards with 31 touchdowns and three interceptions in 13 games in 2021. Hooker ran for another 1,046 yards and ten touchdowns in Heupel’s uptempo, spread offense.
Hooker was the 68th overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft, selected by the Detroit Lions early in the third round.
Redshirt senior Joe Milton is set to replace Hooker as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in the fall, ahead of five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava, who was the No. 1 overall prospect in the On3 ratings in the 2023 class.
Tennessee in March received a commitment from 2024 four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Merklinger, out of Calvary Day School in Savannah, Ga., is ranked No. 73 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 9 quarterback in the class and the No. 12 overall player in the state of Georgia.
