Film Don't Lie | Deuce Knight
Notre Dame landed their top 2024 quarterback target in CJ Carr. They landed their top transfer portal quarterback target in Sam Hartman. Add one more to the list with the addition of 2025 top target Deuce Knight.
Marcus Freeman and the staff keep on stacking them.
Knight is a different player than those two. A freak athlete with a verified 4.53 40 and 41.9 inch vertical, there just aren’t many others like him at the position. His 122.8 SPARQ score (speed, agility, reaction, and quickness) from earlier this spring is better than Justin Fields (120.03) from when he was in high school and Fields was a year older than Knight was when he tested.
He’s a unique prospect. He’s a true dual-threat with exciting physical tools.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 195
Projected Position: Quarterback
ISD Grade: 94 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 93.7 (4-star)
What he does best:
He has the ability to be a gamebreaker in the running game. He’ll have to be accounted for at all times and if teams are undisciplined, he’s capable of taking it 60.
Knight isn’t someone who escapes the pocket and always looks to run, though. He thinks pass first and it makes sense when you see throws like this.
He has plus arm talent and I think that most people see athletic lefty and think of Michael Vick and his tendency to fire the ball in without the necessary touch all the time. That’s not an issue with Knight and he demonstrates perfect touch on this fade.
Though he still has some work to do in getting through his progressions quicker, like most young quarterbacks, he doesn’t get stuck on his first read and isn’t always looking to bolt the pocket.
He’ll throw receivers open like on this back shoulder reception. If he puts this in front, it’s getting picked or the receiver is getting lit up. This ball placement is exactly what you want to see in this situation.
A big thing with me and high school quarterbacks is how they handle pressure. Players who play on dominant teams sometimes barely get touched or have receivers running wide open all day. We don’t see a lot of adverse conditions with them like they’ll have to face in college.
Knight makes plenty of throws with the rush in his face and he does a good job of keeping his eyes down the field and hanging in when he has to.
What he needs to improve:
Though I have seen him throw with anticipation, there are times where he holds the ball too long waiting for something to develop. He has to speed up his internal clock in the pocket.
Especially when he’s improvising, his mechanics can be inconsistent. That’s when the ball will flutter or be inaccurate.
What’s his ceiling?
Knight has the potential to be one of the top quarterbacks in college football. There are so few athletes like him at the position. He is more than just a dangerous runner, but if the offense is built around his skill set, opposing defensive coordinators will have to alter game plans in hopes of containing him.
Notre Dame will have a lot of talent in the quarterback room and he still needs plenty of development as a passer, but Knight has special traits and could become one of the most exciting players in the country to watch.
Who he could be:
Former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor
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