What the 4-star Deuce Knight's signing means for Auburn's quarterback room

After releasing four-star quarterback Deuce Knight from Notre Dame on Wednesday, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers are poised to add another talented arm to their quarterback room — assuming Knight's commitment to Auburn remains.

And that's not to say there's any reason to believe Knight won't sign with Auburn at some point, it's simply the day and age of flipping, flopping and transferring.

But as of this writing, Auburn is on track to add the fifth-ranked quarterback in the country to its already brilliant 2025 recruiting class.

This begs the question: What does this mean for Auburn's quarterback room?

By the time Knight arrives, Payton Thorne, Auburn's reigning starting quarterback, will no longer be eligible to play.

That would leave the Tigers with Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, Knight and Walker White.

Here's what we know about each of these quarterbacks:

Hank Brown

Hank Brown is currently a redshirt freshman and will be a sophomore when Knight is ready to play for the Tigers.

Brown entered the 2024 season as a backup but started in games against New Mexico and Arkansas. His performances were mixed: He threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns against New Mexico, but threw three interceptions and was benched at halftime against Arkansas.

“It has nothing to do with my trust in Hank,” Freeze said the following Monday of his decision to bench Brown against Arkansas. “But in that moment, our team needed something different to give us a chance.”

Prior to his time at Auburn, Brown was rated a three-star quarterback by 247Sports after a record-setting career at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, where he led the Mustangs to a perfect 13-0 record and a state championship in 2022. He scored more than 3,200 yards and 47 touchdowns on 73% passing as a senior.

Holden Geriner

At the time Knight became a factor in Auburn's quarterback room, Holden Geriner was a junior and in his fourth year at The Plains.

Again, a lot could change in the 2024 season as it currently stands, our only view of Geriner is at reserve or third place.

During the 2023 season, Geriner found himself third on the depth chart as Thorne and former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford swapped in and out frequently.

Although Freeze raved about Geriner being the most natural passer in Auburn's quarterback room, Geriner continued to struggle in his backup assignments last fall, going 5-for-15 for 75 yards and an interception.

Freeze mentioned Geriner briefly during the in-season quarterback battle between Thorne and Brown, but his only playing time this season came late in games against Alabama A&M and New Mexico.

“I know we also have Holden, who is a quality player, and we have to figure out, 'Does he fit into the equation as well?'” Freeze said ahead of Auburn's matchup with Oklahoma. “But honestly, I think this week we're going to see Hank and Peyton fighting to see who gets the nod.”

However, before arriving at Auburn, Geriner was rated as a four-star quarterback in the class of 2022 after a standout career at Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. There, Geriner scored more than 7,100 yards and 71 touchdowns over the course of his career.

Deuce Knight

Obviously, we have yet to see what “Deuce Knight, the college quarterback” looks like.

What we do know is that Knight is one of the best quarterbacks in the country in the 2025 class.

A participant in Elite 11, the country's premier quarterback competition, Knight was named On3's Elite 11 MVP after “delivering three days of consistent performances with the most legitimate 'wow' moments of any Elite 11 finalist,” wrote On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power.

Knight also impressed during his junior campaign at George County High School, where the left-handed, dual-threat quarterback passed for more than 2,000 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions on a 53% pass rate.

Using his legs, Knight added another 494 yards and 11 touchdowns on 99 carries in 2023.

Given his athleticism, Knight will likely fit well in Freeze's run-pass option offense.

Walker White

True freshman Walker White, currently the baby of Auburn's quarterback room, will experience his first football season as a college quarterback this fall.

As a four-star quarterback and the fifth-ranked quarterback nationally in the Class of 2024, expectations are high for White once he settles in and finds his footing.

During his senior season at Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas, White passed for more than 2,200 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions while totaling 346 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Back in February, Thorne told reporters that White “sometimes looks like Tim Tebow out there,” referring to White's 6-foot-1, 250-pound frame.

What this all means for Auburn's quarterbacks

Again, starting with the fact that nothing is final until a recruit signs his letter of intent, who knows what Knight's commitment means to the Tigers Really means.

However, some conclusions can be drawn should Knight end up on Auburn's campus later on:

• Perhaps the first is the fact that Auburn continues to recruit quarterbacks at a high level. If Knight signs, it will be the second straight year Freeze has landed a quarterback in the top five of the 247Sports rankings.
• Another reason is that Freeze clearly prefers to use dual-threat signal callers, which is no surprise given his preferred run-pass option offensive scheme.

Knight's expected arrival also raises a question: As Auburn's quarterback room fills with talent, will any of the three existing quarterbacks head to the transfer portal?