Freshman Auburn Tigers quarterback Deuce Knight isn't expected to step in right away and produce on the Plains. He is expected to be ready to step in if something happens to Jackson Arnold, and he's most certainly expected to be caught up to speed so he can take the reins in the future.
Phillip Dukes explained Knight's purpose at AU until Hugh Freeze is ready for him on a recent episode of the "Dukesthescoop" podcast.
"Deuce Knight had a good camp. It’s just that it’s gonna be finding his fit in the offense. You got a guy who can make the throws that he can. He can hit all the spots on the field that he can," Dukes said of Knight.
"Part of the beauty of having a guy like Deuce Knight being able to go with the twos and the threes is that you get quality quarterback play to know what you have in the future or to know what you even have right now when you can rotate a guy.
"I think Auburn has to do a good job, you know, selling him on the future and selling him on the offense and looking and say, ‘Hey, look, this is you next. This is your ground and you’re going to have these weapons.’"
Of course, in modern college football, every player is on a 24/7 recruitment cycle.
At any time, Knight can find that there's a better opportunity elsewhere, playing time-wise and financially, so Freeze and Co. need to constantly make the experience a positive one.
There have been scares before about Knight potentially transferring. Freeze needs to thread the needle between giving Arnold his time to shine and become an NFL prospect and not letting Knight wait too long to get an opportunity.