Elite quarterback Deuce Knight decommits from Notre Dame for greener SEC pastures

Notre Dame football recruiting has received another massive blow with the decommitment and flip of 2025 Lucedale (Miss.) George County quarterback Deuce Knight , who ranks as high as the No. 28 overall player in the class by On3. This has been a move that has felt inevitable for a couple of months, Auburn making a hard charge with an attractive NIL (call it what you want) package included, even after a momentary break in momentum several weeks ago.

Knight was given a tentative deadline to make the flip a month and a half ago, but he wanted to move the deadline back. This was always going to happen, but was just a matter of when.

This is a big loss for several different reasons. One, Knight is the quarterback, and therefore the symbol of the 2025 recruiting class. Everyone knows how important that position is. Not only is quarterback the most important position in football, there is an argument for all sports. They are the beacon of hope, the future, and every other reassurance you need for a class, and program.

The other major part is that Knight is extremely talented. At 6-5 and 205 pounds, there is a strong argument that the Mississippi native would have been the most uniquely talented athlete they have ever had at the position. Having run steadily in the 4.5s in the forty-yard dash, as well as jumping over 40 inches in the vertical, calling Knight a freak would be a massive understatement.

As a passer, the raw tools are equally as impressive. Possessing a rocket arm and a lot of natural gifts, the upside is unquestionable. Knight is still raw in terms of football and consistency, but if developed properly, he could be a superstar.

For a long time, Knight was counted upon as the foundation of the 2025 class. Despite constant chatter about Ole Miss, among others continuing to push to flip him, he stood firm in his Irish pledge. That included ten visits to South Bend since committing in September of last year. The relationship he built with Notre Dame wasn’t enough in the end. He’s off to different opportunities in Auburn, Alabama.

Where will Notre Dame go from here? You should expect the program to be patient with the next step. This search could go for a few more weeks into the rest of fall, leaving room for an evaluation of senior year film. Game visits for the coaching staff will be in the works. The search is on.

Save the spin, this is an awful, awful loss for the Irish. They will now be left to scramble to find their quarterback for 2025, and hope to somewhat salvage a class that once looked like it could be stellar. Now Marcus Freeman and his staff are left to regroup. It’s not a great position to be in for a program that typically tries to have their class solidified for the most part by the time the season begins.