Finally, the Jackson Arnold era at Auburn has come to a close. Then, the Ashton Daniels experiment failed quickly. Now, quarterback Deuce Knight is set to hold the reins of the Tigers' offense.
Arnold lasted for seven and a half games, then it was time for Daniels to step in. After yet another loss for the Tigers as Daniels failed to lead the offense past the Vanderbilt Commodores, dropping Auburn to 4-6 overall, the team has decided to hand Knight the keys.
After a mid-week practice, interim head coach and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin spoke about why he trusts Knight to lead the Tigers this week as they take on the Mercer Bears and with just a week left until the annual Iron Bowl.
DJ Durkin turns to Deuce Knight with 2 games left
"Both these guys have played really well, they're both gonna play in the game," Durkin said of Daniels and Knight. "We're gonna go with Deuce as the starter, and I think he's earned it. Done a great job. We're excited to see him go play."
So far this season, Knight has thrown just five pass attempts, completing two of them (40 percent) for 20 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Meanwhile, Arnold threw 133 completions (63.3 percent) for 1,278 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions before getting benched. Daniels has completed 50 out of 80 pass attempts for just 538 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
While Mercer wouldn't usually prove to be a massive threat to the Tigers, the team is currently 9-1 overall, and Auburn is still trying to find its footing on offense, turning to starting quarterback No. 3 on the year.
Knight has the opportunity to prove himself worthy of the starting role just a week before the real test comes to town: the Alabama Crimson Tide. If Knight can play well against Mercer, it might give him the confidence he needs to stand a chance against Alabama.