Bucs Nation
Could the Bucs’ heir apparent to Lavonte David be Knight?
The Buccaneers’ linebacker corps got consistently abused all last season, and the long-term outlook remains grim heading into 2025.
While Lavonte David is still good, being in year 14 at 35 years old sets a clear need for expectations on his play moving forward. K.J. Britt, one of the league’s worst at the position, is long gone, while third-year player SirVocea Dennis is talented but needs to stay healthy.
Some veterans in the waning stages of their career, like Anthony Walker and Deion Jones, offer some depth but there’s a critical necessity for someone in the room with definable upside.
Could Demetrius Knight Jr. provide that hope? Let’s explore.
Knight went through an extensive journey with his collegiate career.
A 3-star recruit and freaky athlete out of Locust Grove, GA, he lettered in football as a dual-threat QB, as well as in other sports like baseball and basketball, before converting to linebacker at Georgia Tech.
He played in 36 games in four years as a backup for the Yellow Jackets before deciding to redshirt and transfer in 2022. During that time, he totaled 51 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and a sack.
He found his way to Charlotte to prove himself as a starter and immediately made an impact by earning first-team All-AAC in 2023. Starting all 12 games, he compiled 96 tackles (5.5 for loss), 3 interceptions (one returned for a TD), 4 pass breakups, and 1.5 sacks. He did all of that while providing for his wife and two children, going as far as to run DoorDash orders after games.
In his final year of eligibility, Knight decided to transfer once again to a Power 5 program, this time in the SEC with South Carolina. With his starting ability established, he again made splash plays throughout the season with 82 tackles (8 for loss), 3 forced fumbles (led the team), 2 sacks, and 1 interception.
He did participate in South Carolina’s bowl game, as well as the Senior Bowl.
Knight did the full assortment of testing at NFL Scouting Combine and did well for himself.
Measuring 6-foot-1, 235 pounds with 32 ⅝” arms and 10” hands, Knight possesses ideal size for middle linebacker at the pro level, and he demonstrated his ability to use it consistently on the field. He also showed off his strength with 22 reps on the bench press.
He did well in all aspects of testing, which tracks with his overall athletic profile. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash with a 1.58 10-yard split and 2.66 20-yard split – all very strong numbers for his position.
Perfectly fine explosiveness testing (31 ½” vertical and 9-foot-10 broad) and good agility testing (4.25 short shuttle, 7.12 3-cone) put the cap on a strong day for the 24-year-old prospect.
Knight wisely stood on all of his numbers at South Carolina’s pro day on March 18, opting just...
