Auburn football given 'one more thing to worry about' during Georgia-Ole Miss, says AL.com

AL.com's Creg Stephenson sees Deuce Knight's storming the field for Ole Miss after a 28-18 Rebels victory over Georgia as "one more thing to worry about" for Hugh Freeze's Auburn football program. Overall, Stephenson didn't slam the panic button about it.

Stephenson did note that Knight's visit was a surprise, though.

"Knight’s visit to Ole Miss was described as something of a surprise by reporters who cover the Rebels. Also on-hand was 5-star Alabama wide receiver commit Caleb Cunningham, who hails from Choctaw County High School in Ackerman, Miss.," Stephenson wrote.

"It’s possible, if not likely, that Knight storming the field in Oxford on Saturday was simply a 'When in Rome' moment. But it’s just one more thing for Auburn fans to get nervous about between now and National Signing Day on Dec. 18."

Another Deuce Knight flip would spell doom for Hugh Freeze's Auburn football coaching tenure

Given Knight's sudden change of heart to flip from Notre Dame to the Plains, it's not hard to wonder if he's thinking about the financial ramifications of staying in-state. Ole Miss's NIL collective outperforms, and the Rebels are winning their way into national relevance.

Tiger fans can't deny momentum is moving the other way with Freeze's program. Even though Auburn loses more than a team should given their statistical rankings on both sides of the ball, the viewing public goes by wins and losses -- and whether or not the job has been done.

Freeze cannot allow Knight's recruitment to remain open another second. That's the key to it all unraveling for his Tigers coaching tenure. Knight is a potential domino leading to more departures. The optics of that happening amidst a losing season may not make a comeback possible.

Knight's next recruiting decision, to stay or to go, is a make-or-break one for Freeze.