Lucedale, Miss. (WLOX) - Year after year, the coast is home to many athletes who will continue their football careers at the next level.

However, this season one Coast player will have all eyes glued to him. George County quarterback and Notre Dame commit Deuce Knight is widely ranked as a top-five quarterback in the class of 2025. By the end of the recruiting cycle, Knight has a chance to be the top-rated quarterback recruit in Mississippi’s decorated football history.

On Monday, Knight became one of the first high schoolers in the state to sign an NIL endorsement deal after state legislatures recently overturned the law allowing high school players to profit off of their name, image, and likeness. According to ON3, Knight’s NIL valuation ranks 88th out of all high school and college athletes in the country. While athlete monetization continues to evolve, there may not be a better environment for Knight to grow as a student, young man, and athlete than a program like George County.

“It’s crazy,” Knight said. “That’s not something you think about. I’m a teenager. I just want to play football to play football because I love it, but they’re paying people to do it now. It’s a blessing. I get to come out here and play football with the guys and get paid for it. It’s cool.”

“He’s such a good guy,” George County head coach James Ray said. “He’s handled all of this well. He’s handled it with his teammates well and they respect him. He’s honest and upfront with everybody, we knew exactly where he was and where he was going to be. He didn’t miss a beat when he came back, he just picked up and put the pieces back together. He’s had a really good July with us.”

Knight’s first NIL deal is with Leaf Trading Cards for a reported “life-changing” amount of money.

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