Auburn freshman Deuce Knight shines in first start against Mercer

November 22, 2025 – AUBURN - Auburn defeated Mercer by the score of 62 to 17. The outcome – An SEC school in the era of NIL paid players versus an FCS school – was predetermined. Even in a historically disappointing year for Auburn, the Tigers have far too much talent on the field for any FCS school to be competitive in 2025. That said, Auburn fans were there to see five star recruit Deuce Knight in his first (and possibly only) start at quarterback.

Knight did not disappoint. The true freshman accounted for six touchdowns and 401 total yards. The could have been 500 yards except interim coach D.J. Durkin got in some work for Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold.

Deuce Knight is a native of Lucedale, Mississippi. He played high school football at both George County High School and Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. He transferred back to George County after a brief stint at Lipscomb in 2023.

Over his high school career, Knight amassed 7,855 passing yards and 56 touchdowns as well as 1,361 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns. He also won two state high jump titles and a state long jump championship, showcasing elite athleticism.

Those skills were all on display Saturday.

Knight rushed for 162 yards and four touchdowns. The last Auburn quarterback to rush for four touchdowns was Cam Newton (who added a Heisman trophy and a national championship to his honors during the magical 2010 season on the plains). Knight scored at ease against the athletically outmatched Mercer defenders.

He also passed for 239 yards and two more touchdowns.

Wide receiver Malcolm Simmons caught five passes for 149 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown. Coleman added 65 yards and a 10-yard score.

Sophomore running back Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 43 yards on 6 carries. He comes into the Alabama game with 936 yards on 165 carries during the 2025 season, averaging 5.7 yards per carry with 4 touchdowns. He needs just 64 yards in the Iron Bowl to reach a 1000 yards for the year.

Auburn's defense gave up some early scores to Mercer's brisk precision passing offense, but toughened, forcing three turnovers-including a pick-six by linebacker Elijah Melendez-and holding the Bears scoreless in the second half.

Junior kicker Alex McPherson added two field goals and Jackson Arnold concluded Auburn's scoring with a 54 yard rushing touchdown.

Starting quarterback Ashton Daniels did not play to preserve his redshirt and a year of eligibility. Daniels is a transfer from Stanford where he played three seasons. Daniels will be the Iron Bowl starter, though Durkin hinted that Knight could possibly see some action as well.

Knight was rated as the 6th overall quarterback and 26th overall player in the class of 2025 by On3.com. He initially committed to Notre Dame but flipped to Auburn in December 2024 after a late push by Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. Auburn likely will not be able to keep Knight, Arnold, Daniels, and walk-on sophomore John Colvin who was a standout at Mountain Brook High School.

Multiple reports from reputable sources-including Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek – are reporting that Tulane Coach John Sumrall will become Auburn's next head football coach, though the university has not made an official announcement as of now.

Whoever is selected as the next head coach will have to decide on which of the quarterbacks he wants to keep and given the current NIL environment which he can afford to keep. Knight's performance on Saturday likely increased the number of teams who would be interested in him in the transfer portal.

Auburn (5 and 6) will play Alabama (9 and 2) on Saturday night in Auburn. The Iron Bowl will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

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