Malcolm Simmons hauls in a 91-yard Auburn TD (0:33)Deuce Knight airs it to Malcolm Simmons for a 91-yard Tigers touchdown. (0:33)
Mark SchlabachJan 11, 2026, 01:56 PM ETCloseSenior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of GeorgiaFollow on X
Former Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight signed with Ole Miss on Sunday, sources confirmed to ESPN, giving the No. 6 Rebels a potential starter for 2026 if Trinidad Chambliss doesn’t win his fight for a sixth season of eligibility.
Knight, from Lucedale, Mississippi, was ranked the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2025. He committed to Notre Dame in September 2023 before flipping to Auburn, where he played in two games this past season.
The 6-foot-4, 217-pound signal-caller spent much of the 2025 season sitting behind Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels. He did start in the Tigers’ 62-17 victory against FCS program Mercer on Nov. 22, completing 15 of 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 162 yards and four scores.
Knight entered the transfer portal after new Auburn coach Alex Golesh brought in Byrum Brown, his former starting quarterback at South Florida.
On Friday, an NCAA committee denied Chambliss’ waiver for a sixth year of eligibility. Ole Miss officials said they would appeal the ruling, while Chambliss’ attorney, Tom Mars, indicated that he might sue the NCAA to try to get his client eligible for the 2026 season.
Mars and Ole Miss officials had built their case on the grounds that Chambliss was dealing with persistent respiratory issues during his sophomore season at Division II Ferris State. Chambliss was retroactively requesting a medical redshirt because he didn’t play that season because of his medical issue.
The NCAA said Ole Miss didn’t provide enough medical evidence that showed that was the reason he didn’t play.
“The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was ‘doing very well’ since he was seen in August 2022,” the NCAA said in a statement.
The NCAA added: “Additionally, the student-athlete’s prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited ‘developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances’ as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season. The waiver request was denied.”
In Chambliss’ first season with the Rebels, he was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after throwing for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also ran for 527 yards with eight scores.
After taking over in Ole Miss’ third game, Chambliss helped lead the Rebels to a 13-2 record. The Rebels fell to No. 10 Miami 31-27 in a CFP semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Thursday.
Austin Simmons, who opened the 2025 season as the Rebels’ starter until he was hurt, has transferred to Missouri.
Malcolm Simmons hauls in a 91-yard Auburn TD (0:33)Deuce Knight airs it to Malcolm Simmons for a 91-yard Tigers touchdown. (0:33)
CloseSenior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of GeorgiaFollow on X
Mars told ESPN that 91 pages of medical records were submitted to the NCAA.
On3 first reported that Knight committed to Ole Miss.
Deuce Knight airs it to Malcolm Simmons for a 91-yard Tigers touchdown. (0:33)