Former 5-Star QB Predicted to be Backup After Trinidad Chambliss Ruling

A former five-star quarterback is once again expected to be a backup quarterback after transferring to a new program in 2026.

Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight (9) run in for a touchdown on the first play of the game as Auburn Tigers take on Mercer Bears | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle in college football reached a standstill near the end of January.

Of the thousands of college football players who were on the move from the end of the 2025 regular season up until late January, no position group received more attention than the quarterbacks who entered the portal. Most of the quarterbacks who transferred were looking for new places to take the reins as a starter in 2026, but others will be backing up returning starters at their next stops.

One quarterback that will serve as a backup at his next stop is former Auburn starting quarterback Deuce Knight, who transferred to Ole Miss. He will have four seasons of eligibility with the Rebels.

The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder was a top 10 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting cycle when he committed to Hugh Freeze and Auburn. Knight was third in the Tigers' quarterback room behind Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels. He seldom saw the field in his time at Auburn, but he did get the start in the penultimate game of the regular season against Mercer.

In total, Knight completed 17 of 25 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns to go with 178 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Deuce Knight (9) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against Mercer | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Knight was one of 37 players who entered the NCAA transfer portal from Auburn's 2025 team after it was announced Alex Golesh would be Hugh Freeze's successor as the Tigers' head coach. He is returning to his home state of Mississippi, as he is from Lucedale, which is in the southern portion of the state.

When Knight announced his commitment to Ole Miss, he did so knowing Rebels' 2025 starter Trinidad Chambliss was suing for an extra season of eligibility for the 2026 season. Since he only appeared in two games at Auburn, he was able to maintain his redshirt.

Even though Knight's 2025 campaign was limited, he was one of several true freshman quarterbacks to see the field last season. Antonio Morales of The Athletic evaluated Knight's performance in his breakdown of the true freshmen he released on Friday.

“Deuce Knight transferred to Ole Miss after a season at Auburn, but is headed toward another season as a backup since it looks as though Trinidad Chambliss will be eligible in the fall," Morales wrote.

"Knight, a five-star prospect from Mississippi, played extended snaps in just one game last season, against Mercer, and passed for 239 yards, rushed for 162 yards, and accounted for six touchdowns against an outmanned FCS opponent.”

Even with Chambliss having been granted his preliminary injunction, the Rebels were going to have to find more options in the portal with Austin Simmons transferring to Missouri. Ole Miss is also bringing in Louisiana transfer Walker Howard, who was actually a member of the Rebels' 2023 and 2024 teams.

Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight (9) throws the ball as the Tigers take on the Mercer Bears | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images