2025 Auburn QB target commits elsewhere but Hugh Freeze still pursuing flip

Deuce Knight, a dual-threat quarterback playing at Lipscomb Academy and a high priority for Hugh Freeze and his Auburn football coaching staff, just recently committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. According to 247sports composite rankings, Knight is the fifth-best quarterback in the 2025 class and a top 75 player in the country.

Although Knight is now a part of Marcus Freeman’s class, you should expect that coach Freeze will still push heavily for Knight to visit the plains and for a potential commitment flip. There is still plenty of time for this to happen and, it may even come with the help of another top 100 recruit.

The 2025 Auburn football recruiting class has already seen the commitments of three players; the first being 3-star defensive lineman Malik Autry from right down the road in Opelika, the most recent in 3-star offensive tackle Spencer Dowland, and the highest of the commits so far, 4-star edge rusher Jakaleb Faulk, happens to be the brother of current Auburn freshman Keldric Faulk. This is a nice start to the 2025 class and although all recruits are important, Freeze has targeted who he wants for the most essential position on the field.

As soon as coaches were able to officially contact recruits for the 2025 cycle, Knight received his first phone call from Freeze. Knight told 247 Sports that communication will play a big part in his recruitment process, and it meant a lot that although other coaches had texted him, Freeze was the first to speak to him over the phone. Auburn offered Knight a scholarship on January 17; making him one of the first offers from Freeze and his staff. 247Sports’ Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins writes that Knight is, “roughly 6-foot-4.5, 195 pounds … with raw traits that separate him from his peers… a potential lottery ticket in the 2025 cycle with a monster payout.” Knight is just the type of player Freeze values at the quarterback position to lead his up-tempo offense. Don’t expect the lefty to suit up in the shiny gold helmet yet because Auburn will most definitely still be in the mix in the coming year.

Deuce Knight could be joined at Auburn football by Alvin Henderson

Along with Knight, Auburn has its eye on their running back of the future in top 100 player Alvin Henderson. Henderson is from Elba, Alabama, and ranks as a top-10 running back in the nation.

Henderson’s recruitment is led by Auburn legend and current running back coach, Carnell Williams. “Cadillac” has been very successful in getting top running backs to commit to the Tigers; with some of those names including Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb, and 2024 commit J’Marion Burnette. Henderson could be the next to join an already great running back room.

It just so happens that both he and Deuce Knight have formed a friendship and a common goal of potentially playing in the same jersey, and that could soon be in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Knight has recently talked about Henderson stating, “We’re big on going to school together and changing a program together.”

https://twitter.com/DeuceKnight/status/1688977254225707021

These are exactly the players Auburn needs to land to get back on top of the nation’s recruiting totem pole and back to competing for championships. While Knight is now a Notre Dame commit, Henderson has released a top 10 with the Irish being absent from that list.

If Auburn football continues to push hard for both, the duo’s vision of being in the same backfield could become a reality on the plains.