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Former South Carolina football captain signs first NFL contract

by: Kevin Miller07/20/25kevinbmiller52
South Carolina senior linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. / CJ Driggers/ Gamecock Central
South Carolina senior linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. / CJ Driggers/ Gamecock Central

On Saturday, South Carolina football linebacker product Demetrius Knight signed his first NFL contract. Following a second-round selection in this April’s NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Knight has signed with the team on a historic deal. The draft’s 49th-overall pick will play under a contract that is nearly 80% guaranteed and includes guaranteed money in its fourth year, an NFL-first for that selection. The Bengals announced the move in an official statement.

Knight follows fellow South Carolina second-round defenders Nick Emmanwori and TJ Sanders, both of whom signed their contracts on Thursday night. Emmanwori became the first player ever to sign a fully guaranteed contract after being selected with the 35th pick, and Sanders’ deal is also almost fully guaranteed. Kyle Kennard and Tonka Hemingway signed their first NFL deals earlier this offseason. With those five picks, USC set its modern NFL Draft record for defensive selections.

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Listed at 6-2 and 240 pounds on the Bengals’ official roster, Knight brings an impressive combination of size and speed to the table. He has earned some first-team reps this summer and could be in line for a major role in Cincinnati.

During his one season with the South Carolina football program, Knight made a lasting impact. Voted a team captain, Knight earned several team awards and picked up at least one All-SEC honor. He was second on the team with 82 overall tackles. He also logged eight tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and a game-sealing interception against Clemson. Knight joined the Gamecocks after four years at Georgia Tech and one at Charlotte. He is the highest-drafted full-time linebacker in program history and the first since 2021.

Knight and Cincinnati will begin NFL preseason play on August 7th against the defending Super Bowl champs. The Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles will play at 7:30 p.m. in Philadelphia.

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