Class Impact: Elite QB Deuce Knight Commits To Notre Dame

Breaking down how the commitment of Deuce Knight impacts the Notre Dame class and depth chart

Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment in its 2025 class by landing elite quarterback Deuce Knight. The Lucedale (Miss.) George County star picked Notre Dame over programs like Tennessee, Ole Miss, Georgia and plenty of others.

Let's take a look at what the commitment of Knight means for the Notre Dame 2025 class and the Fighting Irish depth chart.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Quarterback recruiting has been an issue for Notre Dame for years. There were stretches where the Irish recruited very well (2011 class to 2015 class), but recent years it has been much more of an up-and-down affair. Things started to pick up when the Irish landed big time quarterback CJ Carr in the 2024 class, and later in the year they picked up 2023 quarterback Kenny Minchey.

Notre Dame entered the 2025 cycle needing another big time quarterback in order to string together talent at the position it needs to truly compete at an elite level at the position. Notre Dame made Knight their top target months ago, and ultimately he ended up in the class.

Landing Knight in the 2025 class gives Notre Dame its best three-year recruiting stretch at quarterback since it picked up Malik Zaire, DeShone Kizer and Brandon Wimbush from the 2013 to 2015 classes. He's the first left-handed quarterback to pick Notre Dame since Zaire played for the Irish.

Knight is the third player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2025 class, joining Florida running back Justin Thurman and Florida defensive tackle Davion Dixon.

NOTRE DAME FIT - FILM ANALYSIS

Notre Dame wants a quarterback that can make plays from the pocket, and while Knight is still a work in progress from a technical standpoint, he has all the tools to eventually be an impact player from the pocket, so in that regard he fits the Notre Dame offense quite well. The fact he is also a dynamic player on the move and outside of the pocket adds even more value to his fit in the Notre Dame offense.

Knight is a tall, long quarterback with a very good frame. He's on the thin side right now, but Knight has the frame to fill out and add a lot of good weight. As he gets stronger and does in fact fill out, his ability to make more plays out of structure will be enhanced. His arm will also continue to get stronger, which is impressive since that's already a strength of his.

Due to his length, Knight has a longer delivery, much like we've seen from past quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) and Hendon Hooker (Tennessee). Working to make sure he's quick through the zone and consistent with his release will be key for Knight due to his length, but he already shows the ability to be compact and get the ball out quickly despite his length.

Knight has a very strong arm already, and it's going to get better. He can make effortless throws down the field, and his deep ball is impressive. Knight's ability to power the ball down field with ease is also something Notre Dame clearly wants from its current offense, and that adds to his fit in the Notre Dame offense.

Although Knight is still technically raw and lacks great experience, he shows a good feel in the pocket. He processes reads well, and when he's moving around in the pocket he does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield. Knight wants to make plays with his arm before his legs, which makes him very dangerous. Of course, Knight is a dynamic runner with the speed to make big plays in space and the elusiveness to be hard to bring down in the pocket. He doesn't necessarily project to be a "runner" at the next level, but his running ability does add options to the offense, but his athleticism will be most felt in the pass game when things break down a bit.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter