Demetrius Knight Jr. is a well-traveled college linebacker who became a full-time NFL starter as a rookie, logging 106 tackles for the Bengals in 2025.
Demetrius Knight Jr. took an unconventional route through Charlotte, Georgia Tech and South Carolina before the Bengals made him a second-round pick in 2025. He rewarded that faith immediately, starting the majority of Cincinnati's games as a rookie and emerging as a defensive playmaker.
Path to the league
Knight began his college career at Charlotte before transferring to Georgia Tech for four seasons and finishing with a final year at South Carolina. Across his college career he appeared in 61 games with 22 starts and totaled 229 tackles. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the second round, No. 49 overall, of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
In his lone season at South Carolina in 2024, Knight was named a Rex Enright Team Captain, the program's Most Outstanding Senior, and one of three co-recipients of the Joe Morrison MVP award for the defense. He is a cousin of longtime NFL cornerback and three-time Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall.
2025 season recap
Knight started fast as a rookie, playing in all 17 games with 14 starts for the Bengals and finishing with 106 total tackles, seven passes defensed, three sacks, one forced fumble and two interceptions, establishing himself as a key piece of Cincinnati's linebacker corps.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Demetrius Knight
- ESPN: Demetrius Knight Jr.
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | bengals | 17 | 106 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- South Carolina
- Hometown
- Locust Grove, GA, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
