Notre Dame Commit Deuce Knight Experienced Big Time Junior Year Growth
It was a massive victory for Notre Dame in September when they received a commitment from 2025 Lucedale (Miss.) George County star quarterback Deuce Knight over a long list of impressive suitors. At the time, Knight’s junior season was a bit disjointed with some questions surrounding him.
This past offseason, Knight had transferred to Lipscomb Academy, a powerhouse squad in the state of Tennessee. After playing three gems with the team, he made the decision to transfer back to George County. He was required to sit out a couple games after transitioning back but luckily, George County made it as easy as possible on Knight, helping him to acclimate quickly.
"It was an easy transition coming back,” Knight told Irish Breakdown. "These are guys that I have been playing with my whole life. They’re family and they welcomed me back with open arms.”
Once Knight got back on the field, it was like old times again. This time, however, the team’s on field success was at a much higher level. Unfortunately their quest for a state championship ended this past week, and while it didn’t quite fulfill every goal, George County is on the rise.
"It was a pretty good season,” Knight explained. "I wouldn’t say it lived up to all the expectations because the goal was to win a state championship but going from 2-8 to 8-3, obviously that is a big improvement. I’m really hoping we are able to bring a championship back to George County next season.”
The team experienced outstanding growth. Individually, Knight also reaped the benefits of a year of experience. He is starting to tap into his potential, which is scary for every future opponent.
"I think I got a lot better at standing in the pocket and staying patient,” he said. "Last year I was quick to get out of there and use my athleticism. Being able to stand in there and go through my reads and trust everything around me.”
It’s true, Knight did see massive improvements individually as a junior. There is still some obvious room for improvement but the Mississippi native certainly impressed in the 11 games in total that he played. While Knight is a football player first, this winter he will once again dawn a different jersey. He’s really a testament to his overall athleticism.
"I’m going to be playing basketball,” said Knight. "It just started up and we’re really excited. Last year we won districts and lost in the second round of the playoffs. We should be really good.”
The excitement around Knight being a part of the program in the future is at an all time high. The crazy part of his junior year growth is he is still just beginning to tap into his overall potential. 2023 was a year of outstanding growth but really just a glimpse into how good Knight can become.
When Knight returned to George County, he proceeded to play at a very high level. In seven games with the team, he threw for 1,420 yards and 15 touchdowns. Knight also rushed for 340 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. In total, he accounted for 23 total touchdowns and only three interceptions in seven games.
The 6-5, 185-pound signal caller is well liked from a ranking perspective. Every major recruiting platform has Knight rated as a four-star player. Both On3 and Rivals have him pegged the highest, sitting as the No. 29 and No. 25 overall player respectively.
Before Knight had opted for the Irish, he had been courted by some of the major powers in all of college football. Some of his top offers included the Irish, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Washington, South Carolina, TCU, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Indiana among others.
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