Why Notre Dame Football Would Survive Losing Deuce Knight: Breaking Down Recent 5th-Ranked Quarterback Prospects

Deuce Knight is the fifth-rated quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, but that hasn't historically meant great things come next

Sep 15, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush (7) runs the ball as Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Kenny Hebert (42) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Easily the biggest stories in terms of traffic here at Notre Dame on Sports Illustrated has been anything to do with the Deuce Knight recruiting saga.

It's understandable, as Knight is the fifth-rated quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class (per 247Sports composite) and it appears he is deciding whether to hold onto his Notre Dame commitment or head to the SEC, with Auburn being the likely destination.

As the world turns waiting for white smoke to come from the Knight household to indicate a decision has been made, let's take a moment to look at quarterback recruiting rankings in the last 15 years and decide for ourselves whether or not this is the end of the world recruiting scenario some seemingly want to make it out to be.

Recruiting Rankings Since 2010 - A Look Back for Notre Dame

If you go on the 247Sports recruiting database, you can find position rankings for each cycle going all the way back to 2010.

Remember that year, Notre Dame fans?

That was Brian Kelly's first recruiting class, that although not fully his, did bring in the likes of Louis Nix and TJ Jones, both who were big factors in the 2012 team going to the national championship.

The 2010 recruiting class also saw Notre Dame bring in four-star quarterback Andrew Hendrix of Cincinnati (Moeller), Ohio - a top 250 overall player and the nation's 12th rated quarterback. Hendrix was never able to get past Tommy Rees on the depth chart and wound-up transferring to Miami (Ohio) and ended up in med school - not too shabby for a post-football career.

November 26, 2011; Stanford, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Andrew Hendrix (12) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Hendrix didn't check in fifth overall in quarterback rankings that class but with many of those who have since 2010, perhaps he should have as his career played out eerily similar to many who did.

Fifth-Rated Quarterback Recruits Each Year Since 2010 (247Sports Composite)

2010: Jake Heaps, BYU

Jake Heaps was the fifth-rated quarterback in 2010 out of Washington (state) and chose BYU.

His freshman year wound up being his most successful as he threw for 2,316 yards and 15 touchdowns with nine interceptions. A year later he threw for just 1,452 yards in four fewer games, threw nine touchdowns to eight interceptions, and never played at BYU again.

After sitting out in 2012 due to a transfer, Heaps completed just 49% of his passes for Charlie Weis at Kansas before finishing his college career at Miami (FL) in 2013 where he attempted just 12 passes altogether.

2011: Kiehl Frazier, Auburn

Kiehl Frazier was blessed with that coveted fifth-overall quarterback ranking by 247Sports in 2011.

When he got a chance to quarterback as a sophomore he completed 53.4% of his passes for 753 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw 10 interceptions. Frazier wound up spending his senior season of 2014 at Ouachita Baptist University where he helped the Tigers to a Great American Conference championship.

2012: Travis Wilson, Utah

Of what we've seen so far, Wilson had the best college career. Although he didn't go on to an NFL career, Wilson started four seasons for the Utes, throwing for 7,403 yards in his career, and twice passing the 2,000 yard mark in a single season. Wilson didn't get drafted but spent the 2017 off-season with the Los Angeles Rams. Wilson never made an NFL roster.

2013: Shane Morris, Michigan

The Warren, Mich. native was a top-100 overall prospect on the 247Sports composite in 2013 when he wound up at Michigan. Morris attempted all of 92 passes in four years wearing the maize and blue before transferring to Central Michigan for the 2017 season where he threw for an impressive 3,237 yards and 27 touchdowns.

2014: Clayton Thorson, Northwestern

What, you didn't expect to see Northwestern land a top-five quarterback? OK, neither did I. Thorson had a strong college career as he played in 53 games in four years for the Wildcats and threw for over 10,000 career yards. Thorson was impressive enough at Northwestern that the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the fifth found of the 2019 NFL draft.

2015: Brandon Wimbush, Notre Dame

Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush (7) runs the ball in the third quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

That's right, Notre Dame has already had a fifth-rated quarterback in the last 15 years. His name is Brandon Wimbush and he started the entire 2017 season for Notre Dame, a year the Irish challenged for a College Football Playoff spot into November. He was unseated by Ian Book early in the 2018 season however and transferred to UCF for his final year of eligibility in 2019.

2016: Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State

Haskins may be the most recognizable name on this entire list as he started for Ohio State for one season, 2018. Haskins threw for an insane 50 touchdowns to just eight interceptions that year, while also totaling 4,831 passing yards.

Haskins was drafted with the 15th overall pick by Washington in the 2019 NFL draft and struggled there for two seasons. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he was a backup in 2021.

Sadly, Haskins passed away in the spring of 2022.

2017: Tate Martell, Ohio State

Tate Martell was another "can't miss prospect" out of Nevada where he held offers from all of the big dogs - from Alabama to Florida State, to USC. Martell originally chose Ohio State and attempted just 28 passes in two seasons there. He then attended Miami for two years where he was able to attempt one career pass, and finished his college career at UNLV in 2021.

2018: Justin Rogers, TCU

Justin Rogers was the fifth-rated quarterback in the 2018 cycle and ultimately chose TCU. In one season there he completed his one pass attempt for one yard. Rogers and his 100% career completion percentage then went to UNLV where he threw for 636 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons.

2019: Max Duggan, TCU

Max Duggan rivals Dwayne Haskins as the biggest success story on this list. Duggan threw for over 9,600 yards in four years at TCU but his 2022 season was good enough to land him second in the Heisman Trophy voting and land TCU a spot in the national championship game. It's safe to say Duggan exceeded even the highest expectations anyone had for him when he entered TCU.

2020: Ja'Quinden Jackson, Texas

Jackson was part of Texas' recruiting class in 2020 but transferred following his freshman season where he didn't see any game action. He first went to Utah where he backed up Cam Rising at quarterback for a year and then moved to running back where he has played the last two seasons. Jackson has since transferred to Arkansas where he will be a part of the Razorbacks backfield this fall.

2021: Brock Vandagriff, Georgia

Vandagriff was a top-five quarterback in the 2021 class for Georgia and spent his first three years of college football as a reserve. He backed up Stetson Bennett in 2021 and 2022 before doing the same for Carson Beck last year. Vandagriff transferred to Kentucky this off-season and enters the fall as the Wildcats' projected starting quarterback.

2022: Devin Brown, Ohio State

Brown is entering his third season at Ohio State where he has held a reserve role for two seasons. After Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal following the 2023 regular season, Brown got playing time in Ohio State's Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Brown is part of the quarterback race in Columubs, but all signs point to Kansas State transfer Will Howard leading that entering the fall.

2023: Malachi Nelson, USC

Malachi Nelson was the fifth-rated quarterback and 13th overall player in the 2023 recruiting class according to the 247Sports composite. Nelson enrolled early at USC and spent one year on Lincoln Riley's bench before entering the transfer portal in December and ending up at Boise State for this upcoming season.

2024: Walker White, Auburn

Walker White was a top five quarterback from last year's class that signed with Auburn. White enters 2024 as a backup to Payton Thorne with the Tigers.

2025: Deuce Knight, Notre Dame (commitment - for now)

Deuce Knight currently sits committed to Notre Dame but just how strong that commitment is, is very much in question.

Nick's Quick Take

The purpose of this wasn't to say quarterback rankings in recruiting don't matter but was to shed some light on just how unsafe they can be to follow too closely.

Dwayne Haskins and Max Duggan both had legitimate cases to win the Heisman Trophy and were huge factors in their teams being national championship contenders.

Travis Wilson and Clayton Thorson had very strong college careers.

But like with first round NFL quarterbacks, clearly nothing is a guarantee.

For each Haskins there is a Heaps, Frazier or Morris on the list.

For each Duggan there is a Martell or Rogers.

Ultimately this is a very long-winded, researched way of saying that it might but unpleasant in the moment for the Notre Dame staff and fans to potentially see Deuce Knight choose elsewhere, but chances are pretty good that the potential recruiting loss won't be nearly as program defining as some want to believe.

And did everyone just forget that CJ Carr was the sixth overall quarterback in last year's class and he's actually wearing a gold helmet this fall?

—Enjoy free coverage of the Irish from Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI—

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