Demetrius Knight

Demetrius T. Knight Jr. (born July 21, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, Charlotte 49ers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Knight was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life Knight attended Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, Georgia. Coming out of high school, Knight was unranked, where he committed to play college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

College career Georgia Tech During Knight's four-year career at Georgia Tech from 2019 through 2022, he appeared in 36 games where he notched 51 tackles with three being for a loss, a sack, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, while also completing one pass for four yards. After the 2022 season, Knight entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Charlotte Knight transferred to play for the Charlotte 49ers. In 2023, he notched 96 tackles with six being for a loss, three interceptions, and a touchdown for the 49ers. After one year with Charlotte, Knight once again entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

South Carolina Knight transferred to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks. In week 10 of the 2024 season, he notched seven tackles in a 28-7 win over Vanderbilt. In the 2024 regular-season finale, Knight intercepted quarterback Cade Klubnik with 12 seconds remaining to help the Gamecocks seal a rivalry win over Clemson.

Professional career

Knight was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 49th pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.

NFL career statistics

Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fum FR Yds TD 2025 CIN 17 14 106 58 48 3.0 4 2 39 19.5 39 0 7 1 0 0 0 0Career 17 14 106 58 48 3.0 4 2 39 19.5 39 0 7 1 0 0 0 0

Personal Knight is cousins with former Pro Bowl defensive back DeAngelo Hall and distant cousins with musical superstars Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight.