Auburn fans will want to get in their seats on time on Saturday if the news being reported is correct. According to 247Sports, true freshman Deuce Knight will be the starting quarterback for the Tigers as they host Mercer in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Earlier this week, DJ Durkin announced that Ashton Daniels would sit out the game to preserve his redshirt for the season, leaving Knight and former starting quarterback Jackson Arnold as the options behind center.
It appears that Knight has earned the right to start after a great week of practice.
A 5-star recruit out of Lucedale, Miss., Knight was the shining star in Auburn's 2025 recruiting class. He has appeared in one game this fall, throwing for 20 yards on 2-of-5 passes in the 42-3 victory over Ball State.
As Auburn's offense struggled in SEC play this season, many fans wondered whether they would ever see Knight at quarterback, hoping he could turn the Tigers around. With the firing of Hugh Freeze on Nov. 2, many became worried that the 6-4 quarterback would seek other programs to play next season.
Knight gives offense some enthusiasm
While that still may be the case, giving him a shot to run the offense, and not just trotting Arnold out there to start the game, will give Auburn a burst of enthusiasm that might not have been there. It won't be easy for the freshman, though, as Mercer stands 9-1 and allows just 19.7 points per game, but if there is a weakness, it is the Bears' pass defense, which allows 241.1 yards through the air per game.
After a long season of offensive inefficiency that seemed fixed by Daniels two weeks ago against Vanderbilt, it will be interesting to see what Knight can do, how long of a leash he has and if he can take this moment and run with it.