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Deuce Knight will not wear No. 2 jersey at Auburn following Cam Newton comments
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Deuce Knight will not wear No. 2 during his first season at Auburn.
The 5-star freshman has been assigned the No. 9 jersey. That news was revealed on Thursday after Auburn updated its online roster with new jersey numbers for incoming freshmen.
Knight previously expressed an interest in donning the No. 2 jersey with the Tigers, and it’s easy to understand why. In addition to being a natural fit with his first name, the No. 2 jersey is also what Auburn legend Cam Newton wore during his time on the Plains.
While the No. 2 jersey has not been officially retired by Auburn, it hasn’t been worn since Newton led Auburn to a National Championship victory more than a decade ago. And when Newton got wind that a freshman wanted to wear his number, he publicly rejected the idea.
“It’s a f— no for me,” Newton said on a podcast last year. “You will not be wearing No. 2, especially not your first year … I just don’t want to nuke my product like that.
“It’s like, create your own legacy. I did.”
Newton was also critical of QB play at Auburn in recent years. The Tigers have only won 10+ games in a season twice since Newton led the program to an undefeated season back in 2010.
Knight and Hugh Freeze will aim to change that in the near future. Knight was regarded as the No. 28 overall player and the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2025, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s not expected to start for Auburn in 2025 with Jackson Arnold joining the program, but he could be called upon at some point in the near future.
At least in the near-term, it seems Knight wearing No. 2 for Auburn is off the table.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
