From Carolina to Cincinnati: Demetrius Knight chosen in 2025 NFL Draft
Just over a year after coming to South Carolina as an unknown transfer, Demetrius Knight is an NFL Draft pick.
On Friday night, the Cincinnati Bengals used their second-round pick (Pick No. 49) to take select the former Gamecock, making him the highest-drafted USC linebacker since John Abraham was a first-round pick 25 years ago
Knight arrived at South Carolina last winter after a winding college career that began with four mediocre seasons at Georgia Tech before he transferred to Charlotte and racked up 96 tackles and a whole bunch of Power-4 interest. The Gamecocks landed him — an unceremonious signing to a transfer portal class that included tailback Rocket Sanders and others.
A year later, Knight is a beloved Gamecock figure.
During coach Shane Beamer’s state speaking tour on Monday, more fans asked questions about Knight than any other South Carolina player ... including quarterback LaNorris Sellers, whose hometown was hosting the event.
“By the end of the season, he was my favorite player,” one man said, starting a question to Beamer.
Added a woman in a question about press conferences: “D-Knight was really awesome in how he spoke.”
He was also extraordinary on the field. Knight was a cheetah in pursuit, racking up 82 tackles and he flew around the field tracking down ball carriers.
And perhaps it was those instincts that seemed to always put him in the right spot. Like against Clemson, when he followed the Tigers’ running back out of the backfield, watched the pass get tipped and dove for the game-sealing interception.
If that alone wasn’t enough of a sell for an NFL team, Knight’s leadership had to have won over any scout or coach he talked with. By the end of the 2024 season, South Carolina’s players wouldn’t end its Friday night team meeting without Knight getting up and speaking.
“He was like the security blanket,” Beamer said Monday in the Q&A session. “He just said, ‘Hey guys, everything is gonna be OK tomorrow,’ and everyone was good. And I mean that. He’s just a special leader.”
That was especially clear in December. Like many across the country, he had the choice of skipping the bowl game to ensure his health before the draft or suit up one more time in college. He chose to play, explaining that he didn’t want to live with the regret of quitting early.
“I want to show (my children), finish what you started,” Knight said. “When you start it, finish it. That’s a good quality in a person.”
Though he might not have picked up any national awards last year, he basically swept the Gamecocks’ internal team honors. He was named a team captain, voted the most outstanding senior, the defensive MVP, the strength and conditioning award and was a co-recipient of the nutrition award.
It’s not hard to see why so many South Carolina supporters fell in love with Knight. And, after Friday, his fan base is going to grow even more.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 8:27 PM.
