Who is Deuce Knight, Ole Miss football's potential starting QB in 2026?
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Quarterback Deuce Knight announced on social media he is transferring from Auburn to Ole Miss football Jan. 11, and he and could be the Rebels starter for coach Pete Golding in the 2026 season.
Ole Miss needs a starting quarterback because star Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility waiver for the 2026 season was denied by the NCAA. Ole Miss is planning to appeal, according to AD Keith Carter, and Chambliss’ attorney Tom Mars said a lawsuit is possible.
The Ole Miss (13-2) season ended in a 31-27 loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl of the College Football Playoff semifinals in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 8. Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, was Ole Miss’ starting quarterback since Austin Simmons’ injury in Week 2.
Knight will be a sophomore for the 2026 season. He is a former five-star recruit from Lucedale, Mississippi.
Here is what to know about Knight as he joins the Ole Miss football roster for the 2026 season.
Why was Deuce Knight in transfer portal?
Knight was a freshman at Auburn this season. He was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class but entered the transfer portal because Auburn fired coach Huge Freeze midseason.
Knight was not Auburn’s starter. That was Jackson Arnold, who has since transferred to UNLV.
Deuce Knight stats
Knight played in two games for the Tigers with one start in 2025. The start came against Mercer, and he flashed major potential in it. He led Auburn to a 62-17 win, passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 162 yards and four touchdowns.
Deuce Knight recruiting ranking
Knight was a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He was No. 28 nationally, the No. 5 quarterback and No. 1 player in Mississippi.
Knight was originally a Notre Dame commit but flipped to Auburn.
Deuce Knight high school
Knight is from Lucedale, Mississippi, and played at George County High School.
He transferred to Lipscomb Academy in Nashville in 2023 for three games but then transferred back to George County to finish his high school career.
Ole Miss football quarterback depth chart
Knight is slotting into a quarterback room undergoing change.
Unless his waiver is granted on appeal, Chambliss is ineligible to return to Ole Miss. Backup quarterback Austin Simmons has transferred to Missouri, per media reports. That leaves AJ Maddox and Maealiuaki Smith as the top options on the depth chart.
Maddox is coming off his freshman season. He played in one game against The Citadel when he completed one pass for 19 yards. He was a four-star prospect coming out of Oak Grove High School.
Smith was a redshirt freshman who transferred from Oklahoma State. He played in four games for the Cowboys in 2024 and was 44-for-74 passing for 489 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions.
Deuce Knight ranking in transfer portal
Knight is the No. 7 quarterback in the 2026 transfer portal rankings, according to 247Sports. The quarterbacks listed ahead of his are Sam Leavitt (uncommitted), Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech commit), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), DJ Lagway (Baylor), Dylan Raiola (uncommitted) and Husan Longstreet (uncommitted).
Lagway visited Ole Miss Jan. 10 even though he is committed to Baylor, according to media reports.
What Hugh Freeze said about Deuce Knight
Freeze told the “Talk of Champions Ole Miss” podcast in an interview before the Fiesta Bowl that he wasn’t sure where Knight would transfer.
“I have no idea what Deuce is going to do exactly but I know this. To me, he was the future here (Auburn) and he is an elite talent,” Freeze said. “He’s got an arm strength that’s unlike many and obviously the mobility to go with it.”
Deuce Knight height, weight
Knight is 6-foot-4, 217 pounds.
Contributing: Sam Hutchens
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who is Ole Miss QB Deuce Knight, Auburn transfer, potential starter?
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