The 2025 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. plans on taking full advantage. Knight Jr. recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Knight Jr. also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, his abilities at off-ball linebacker, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Knight Jr. better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: I had a very emotional reaction. Knowing everything we’ve gone through, my family and I, it’s been a rollercoaster of a career. I’ve taken a winding path just to get to this point.
Seeing it all come full circle with that Senior Bowl invite, it’s been great, but I still have a lot of work to do. Going to the Senior Bowl is the first step of many required in the right direction for me.
It was an amazing feeling. I’ll never forget the moment I got my Senior Bowl invite.
JM: We’re so happy for you. What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: I have a lot of family in Alabama. The best of the best are always present in Mobile. Being able to show everyone that not only did I compete in the SEC, but I’m going to hold my own against the top-end competition out there as well.
Players from the best programs in the nation will be present at the Senior Bowl. I’m ready to get out there and compete. I’m going to have a great week of practice in front of NFL scouts. It would be great to add that to my pre-draft resume.
JM: What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: I’m looking to be myself at the end of the day. I’m not going to switch it up because scouts and GMs are in attendance. Of course, I’m looking forward to shaking hands and meeting everybody. I’m thankful for the opportunity, but no moment is too big for me. I’m not going to overdo it and mess up my opportunity.
I’m going to be me. I’m going to be energetic. I’m ready to elevate my teammates. I’m going to fly to the football because that’s what I do best.
JM: Speaking of, how would Demetrius Knight Jr. write his own scouting report? Self-scout yourself for us. Are you a downhill thumper, or an athletic off-ball linebacker in space?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: I’m an athletic linebacker who can play in space. I can also come downhill and fill those gaps in the run game, stop the run when need be. I can also get back there in coverage and keep tight ends in check, maybe the occasional receiver I can match up with, the ones who don’t have 4.4-flat speed (laughs).
I’m a do-it-all linebacker. A four-down linebacker, if you will.
JM: You’ve taken a winding road to this point, as you said earlier. From Georgia Tech to Charlotte and finishing at South Carolina. How do you look back on the journey?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: I look back on it as a journey of wisdom. Being at Georgia Tech, I flipped from quarterback to linebacker. That gave me an opportunity to really learn the game. I wasn’t just thrown into it. A lot of things could have gone wrong. I could have gotten injured.
Of course, I was confused why I didn’t play much during my junior season. I understand things better now. I’m thankful to the Lord for allowing me to go through this process, for allowing my story to be written this way.
At Georgia Tech, I did the dirty work, the hard work in my early years while I was still learning the position. I played on special teams and I loved it.
From there, I went to Charlotte and really challenged myself. I went there with confidence gained at Georgia Tech that I could really play linebacker at a high level. I challenged myself to learn the game from a football IQ level at Charlotte.
That’s where the coaching staff helped break things down for me from a Football 101 perspective. I learned how coverages tie into different looks, disguises, and things of that nature. I learned about the role of a 3-technique.
I learned the different defensive fronts and what gaps are my responsibility based on different looks.
I put it all together at South Carolina. I believe that’s what I put on display, especially with so many great players around me. I put in the hard work over the years, and now I had the football IQ needed to maximize my results.
I put together a complete season at South Carolina, but that’s how it all unfolded.
JM: That’s a phenomenal answer. You may have the most interesting family tree in the world, Demetrius. You're related to DeAngelo Hall, and you're also a distant cousin of Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight?!
Demetrius Knight Jr.: That is correct (laughs). We branch out quite a long way in our family (laughs). I haven't seen any of those people in a very long time, probably since I was a very small child, a baby almost.
The family dynamic is crazy though. We have athletes and we have singers (laughs).
JM: You're destined for greatness. This has been an outstanding conversation. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Demetrius Knight Jr.?
Demetrius Knight Jr.: A successful Senior Bowl means I had a positive impact on my teammates on the American Team, not just on the defense, but on offense as well. We're going to have a great group of guys on both sides of the ball.
I just want to make an impact that will last forever. You only get this shot once to go out there and compete in Mobile.
I want to ensure we all get better. I'm going to put on a show for the scouts, but I'm going to remember why I'm doing it, and I'm going to help others remember their purpose as well.
We're here to make each other better. I'm going to have a lot of fun. We've been playing this game for a long time, since we were little kids, and now we're getting the opportunity to play the game at an elite level, the highest level.
We've dreamed about this. Yeah, football is a business and it's about to become the real deal here soon, but never forget your love for the game.
Always find your love for the game.
