Ole Miss may not have landed Lucedale native Deuce Knight out of high school, but the talented quarterback has found his way back to the Magnolia State after spending one year at Auburn.
Knight, a former four-star from George County High School, signed to play for Pete Golding’s Rebels on Sunday. The move comes just two days after standout Ole Miss signal-caller Trinidad Chambliss had his waiver denied for a sixth season at the collegiate level, though the university is appealing the NCAA’s decision. If Chambliss, however, is not cleared to play, Knight could very well be the Rebels’ starting quarterback in the 2026-27 campaign.
A dual-threat southpaw, Knight redshirted his freshman year at Auburn and only made two appearances all season. His big moment came when he was given the starting nod against Mercer in the penultimate game of the year. During that matchup, Knight logged 239 passing yards, 162 rushing yards, six total touchdowns, and no turnovers in the 62-17 blowout. His performance caught the attention of multiple programs looking for a possible game-changing quarterback for the future, including Ole Miss.
The decision by Knight to begin a new venture at his home state’s flagship university was met with a humorous comment by one of his new wide receivers. Deuce Alexander, who re-upped with Ole Miss after a successful first year with the team, took to social media to say, “I guess there’s room for 1 more deuce.”
I guess there’s room for 1 more deuce https://t.co/QKVXvH8Pyq
— Hilton (Deuce) Alexander II (@Deuceisloose3) January 11, 2026
Knight isn’t the only field general the Rebels have expressed interest in as a contingency plan in the event that Chambliss is not behind center when game one rolls around. Ole Miss has reportedly been in contact with former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and is hoping to bring Walker Howard, a former Rebel backup, back from Louisiana.
As things stand, the portal cycle has been a very busy one for Golding and company, who are working to build upon a historic 2025-26 season — one that ended in the semifinals of the team’s first-ever College Football Playoff run. Most of the work, so far, has been on the defensive side of the ball with the Rebels revamping their secondary and rebuilding the linebacker corps.
On the other side of the ball, newly minted offensive coordinator John David Baker has had a couple of major wins over the past 24 hours, landing Knight and Michigan transfer tight end Brady Prieskorn. If that last name sounds familiar, it’s because the former Wolverine is the brother of Caden Prieskorn, a vital piece of the Rebels’ offense from 2023-25. Ole Miss also landed offensive tackle Carius Curne from LSU to help replace the two players at the position who ran out of eligibility.
As for those transferring out, the list is short as Ole Miss has done a masterful job with roster retention, despite the belief by some that Lane Kiffin would have an onslaught of players follow him to Baton Rouge. Thus far, the only notable departures are quarterback Austin Simmons, left guard Delano Townsend, and wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr., among others.
The Rebels will begin Golding’s debut season as head coach versus Louisville in Nashville on Saturday, Sept. 5.
