Deuce Knight might not get his first collegiate start on Saturday in Auburn's matchup against Mercer, but the freshman quarterback will definitely see the field for the second time this season.
In what seems like a decade ago when the Tigers were 1-0 coming off an impressive win at Baylor to open the season and Hugh Freeze was the head coach, Knight saw his first action in an Auburn uniform in mop-up duty in a 42-3 win against Ball State. The 5-star signee didn't exactly light it up, completing 2-of-5 passes for 20 yards while running it four times for 16 yards, but again, it was his debut.
Now serving as Auburn's interim head coach, DJ Durkin says Knight has to go out and trust the talent around him to be successful in his second appearance.
"I think with Deuce, it’s like any other guy," Durkin said. "You give him a plan, and you give him the right tools to help him that suit his strengths. I think, again, it’s about the teammates around you. The quarterback position gets the spotlight, obviously. They often get more credit than they deserve and definitely get more blame than they deserve, but it’s about the guys around you."
The talent at wide receiver and running back is undoubtedly there for the Tigers. In the 45-38 overtime loss to Vanderbilt, Cam Coleman (143 yards) and Eric Singleton Jr. (102) went over the century mark in receiving yards, while Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 115 yards on 16 carries. Now, Knight, who will be sharing time with Jackson Arnold behind center, has to utilize those around him.
I think Deuce understands that, too," Durkin said. "He’s got great players around him, and his job is to be the distributor of the ball to those guys, and that’s what we’re going to ask him to do."