Report: Auburn Tigers Name Starting Quarterback vs. Mercer

The Auburn Tigers are coming off a bye week and are set to face the Mercer Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, and they have reportedly just named their starting quarterback.

True freshman Deuce Knight will make his first career start against Mercer this weekend, according to 247Sports and CBS Sports’ Tom Loy.

SOURCE: Auburn is expected to start freshman quarterback Deuce Knight this weekend against Mercer.

Huge opportunity for the freshman signal-caller, who was considered one of the nation's best coming out of high school.

Story: https://t.co/dlIaQSbmwX @247Sports pic.twitter.com/fAcqExylxN
— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) November 20, 2025

There has been smoke surrounding the position since the Vanderbilt loss about Auburn’s plan to manage the quarterback situation heading into the final two games of the season.

Ashton Daniels, who has emerged as Auburn’s QB1, has played in three games, meaning he is allowed to play in one more game this season to preserve his redshirt. Obviously, Daniels will start in the Iron Bowl against Alabama in two weeks, which will be his fourth appearance of the year.

Interim head coach D.J. Durkin said at his press conference on Monday that he expects both Knight and Jackson Arnold to see game action on Saturday, but was not ready to name a starter earlier in the week. Local media reported that Knight was with the first team during 11-on-11 repetitions at practice on Tuesday, which is normally a solid indicator of who will get the start.

This is an extremely smart and seemingly easy decision made by the coaching staff to sit Daniels and start Knight. Auburn should be able to beat Mercer with the former five-star under center – there’s no reason to burn Daniels’ year of eligibility, especially if he can come back next season to compete for the full-time starting job.

Additionally, there’s no reason not to start Knight. Arnold has already proven he is incapable of competing for championships at this level, and Knight is the only option that sparks hope for the future. It will be important for Knight to show what he can do with his first real shot in legitimate minutes, and if he is unable to effectively produce against an FCS opponent like Mercer, then he may not be “the guy” for the future.

And if he does disappoint, then Auburn will know exactly where the quarterback room stands. Because so far this season, Knight hasn’t received a fair shot to display his skill set.

He has seen the field just once this season, which came in Auburn’s season opener versus Ball State. Knight went 2-of-5 passing for 20 yards against the Cardinals, adding 16 yards on four carries on the ground.

Auburn’s clash with Mercer is slated for 1 p.m. CST on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.