AUBURN | There hasn’t been much of a bedding-in period for Deuce Knight. He hasn’t needed one.
The freshman quarterback has quickly picked up Auburn’s offense and been a standout during spring practice.
“I wouldn’t say it’s surprising because I came here to play football. That’s my business,” said Knight. “But all the coaches make it kind of easy to pick things up.
“We’re watching tape, we’re going over this before practice, before the day of practice, the morning of practice. If I don’t pick it up, I feel like it’s my fault because they’re doing everything for me.”
Auburn’s quarterback coach was aware of Knight’s sharp acumen well before the start of spring drills. The Tigers spent the weeks leading up to practice doing a thorough review of the offense.
“He's probably ahead of where I thought he would be, quite frankly,” said Kent Austin. “He's smart, he prepares, he's really gifted physically. He can make some throws that a lot of other guys can't make, even at his age right now.”
In addition to picking up the offense quickly, Knight feels like he’s a natural fit in what Austin and head coach Hugh Freeze are looking for in a quarterback.
“Coach Freeze, he likes to take a lot of shots. I feel like I have the arm to do that,” said Knight. “And Coach Freeze likes to let his quarterback play free and he likes his quarterback to have a lot of confidence. And I feel like I have those.”
Knight is splitting the reps at quarterback this spring with Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold. The pair have developed a quick friendship and kept the competition for the starting job on the back burner.
“I’m just going out every day trying to get better. I’m not thinking about all that stuff,” said Knight. “Just trying to get better each and every day. Just trying to be the best teammate I can.”
Auburn will conclude spring drills with the A-Day practice and autograph sessions at noon CT on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Admission is free. There will be an alumni flag football game at 11 a.m. and Tiger Walk at 11:30. The autograph session will take place after the practice.
