Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Football Commits React to Deuce Knight's Departure

Several Notre Dame football commits took to twitter after Deuce Knight's flip to Auburn

Nathan Erbach

Lipscomb's Deuce Knight (2) is nearly sacked by IMG's Jayden Jackson (65) at Lipscomb's Reese Smith Football Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday night, Aug. 18, 2023. IMG went on to win the game 35-10.
Lipscomb's Deuce Knight (2) is nearly sacked by IMG's Jayden Jackson (65) at Lipscomb's Reese Smith Football Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday night, Aug. 18, 2023. IMG went on to win the game 35-10. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Deuce Knight going to Auburn, not Notre Dame. Now what for the other Irish commitments?

The Deuce Knight saga is officially over, at least for Notre Dame. Knight had been committed to the Irish since September of 2023, but that commitment was pushed to its limits the past several months.

On Wednesday night, it finally hit its breaking point. Deuce Knight is now a public Auburn commit, and the Notre Dame coaching staff is left searching for a new signal caller in the 2025 class.

Much can be said about how this recruitment was handled by both parties. The reality is that Knight visited Auburn for every home game this season while still committed to Notre Dame. Those actions do not reflect a recruit fully committed to your program, regardless of any assurances made behind the scenes.

In the wake of Knight's official commitment to Auburn, several of his former Notre Dame 2025 classmates, along with the Irish's 2026 quarterback commit, took to social media to rally around the program.

Noah Grubbs' Message to the Notre Dame Faithful

"We Stand on Business" are the words chosen by Notre Dame's 2026 commit, posted almost immediately after On3's Hayes Fawcett delivered the final blow to Irish Nation. These words serve not only as a rallying cry but also as a confident message about how he envisions his talents contributing in South Bend a few years from now.

It also seems to be a message to Deuce Knight, subtly suggesting that his recruitment could have been handled differently. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the tweet, but I admire the confidence and awareness that Grubbs displays as a junior in high school. Stay tuned for a story by my friend and colleague Mason Plummer in the coming days, as he interviews the 2026 Notre Dame quarterback commit.

Notre Dame and Auburn should look to link up on the football field in the near future. Something tells me that game would be particularly fun to watch.

2025 Notre Dame Commits Confirm Pledges

The quarterback commit is typically the leader of the recruiting class. When a high-profile quarterback leaves, it can often trigger a domino effect, prompting other commits to reconsider their decisions. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Notre Dame in 2025.

After the news of Deuce Knight’s commitment to Auburn became official, several commits took to X to reassure fans of their intentions to remain with the Irish.

From wide receiver commit Elijah Burress came a simple post, but the timing is significant. Given that his father's alma mater, Michigan State, has been encouraging him to visit campus, this message should reassure Notre Dame fans he is locked in.

From defensive tackle commit Davion Dixon comes a message of steadfastness. Dixon is the longest-standing Irish commit in the 2025 class and has never wavered since joining the fold. While there was some early speculation about his recruitment being challenging to maintain, Dixon has consistently demonstrated loyalty, a sentiment that continued on Wednesday night.

And from defensive end commit Christopher Burgess Jr., a strong message of commitment. The Chicago high school product was a significant win for the Irish, with many top college football programs vying for his services. This four-star talent from Notre Dame's backyard is firmly locked in with the Fighting Irish.

If Not Deuce Knight, Who Will Notre Dame's QB be in 2025? (si.com)

https://www.si.com/college/notredame/football/duece-knight-auburn-recruiting-notre-dame-football-2025-class-quarterbacks

https://www.si.com/college/notredame/football/duece-knight-auburn-recruiting-notre-dame-football-2025-class-quarterbacks

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Nathan Erbach
NATHAN ERBACH

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