Charlotte 49ers football: Transfer linebacker Demetrius Knight leading by example

All alone sat Demetrius Knight, reflecting on another day of the Charlotte 49ers’ training camp on the sidelines of Richardson Stadium.

One of the 52 new faces on the roster, the former quarterback is taking a unique approach to his first season at Charlotte.

Serving. Serving his teammates, coaches and support staff. A challenging feat inside the white lines, but a part of his new role at Charlotte — being a leader.

“I see myself as a leader, but I want to be a serving leader. I want to serve my teammates as best I can, plus my background being a follower of Christ, I want to find ways. You can’t usually do that in the field of football, but I find ways in the weight room,” Knight said. “At the end of the day, football is bigger than me, and that’s something that should come first when it comes to this game.”

Knight, a Georgia Tech transfer, found his way to Charlotte via a familiar face. Lewis Caralla, the 49ers’ strength and conditioning coach who gained some acclaim after his home workouts went viral during the pandemic, previously served on the Georgia Tech staff.

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“When I came here, I was just listening to Coach (Biff) Poggi talk about the roster, and he asked if I knew of any players that would be interested in coming here,” Caralla explained. “I said I have one. If he comes, he’ll change the culture. ... He will be the example. He was a two-time lifter of the year for me at Georgia Tech, and next thing I know, (Knight) was here.”

With nearly 9,000 players in the transfer portal this offseason, Knight was hoping for an opportunity to showcase his talents. The redshirt junior primarily played on special teams at Georgia Tech, appearing in 36 games and recording 51 tackles. Knight felt he could bring much more to a program if provided with opportunities.

“I didn’t really know where I was going and didn’t really have too many teams talking to me.,” Knight said. “Coach (Caralla) would send me a text, asking if I had found a home yet. I told him I was still looking, and he was like, ‘Why don’t you come to Charlotte with me?’ Coach Poggi called me right after that conversation, and he said he needed a leader on defense, and he believed I could do that.”

A quarterback at heart

Although he will fill a linebacker spot for coordinator Ryan Osborn’s defense, Knight is still a quarterback at heart. He still “fulfills his dreams” by playing video games as the quarterback.

And, even better, he sees the game as a quarterback on the defense, adding a whole new layer to Osborn’s group.

“That’s what I try to do from Day One because I know the mind of a quarterback. At heart, I still technically am one,” Knight said. “When I play video games, I live out my dreams there. I’ve taken everything I knew from the quarterback position ... to linebacker, so I’m like ‘OK, I know what he’s looking at here.’”

Knight has quickly developed a reputation as the player who lifts others, according to the team’s returning top tackler, Prince Bemah. He’s also known for his one-handed interceptions, which are becoming a reoccurring staple at Richardson Stadium.

“Those kind of happen out of nowhere. They’re never planned, but they usually happen,” Knight said. “I try and bait them a little bit, just to get me a few turnovers and get under their skin a bit, but I think it’s a blessing in disguise.”

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New opportunities

A three-star prospect coming out of Strong Rock Christian in Locus Grove, Georgia, Knight was lettered in football, basketball and baseball during high school. He owned his team’s record for the longest touchdown (99 yards), and he even broke a backboard with a dunk.

Knight moved from quarterback to linebacker early in his college career with the Yellow Jackets, which is a transition few make. He convinced former Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins to give him a shot to return to signal-caller but ultimately found his opportunities on the defensive side of the ball.

There could, just maybe, be an opportunity for Knight to realize his dreams again for the 49ers this upcoming season, via a trick play. Although this might be spoiling an opportunity for Knight, quarterback Jalon Jones would gladly catch a touchdown from the linebacker in Charlotte’s version of the Philly Special.

“We were trying to get something going in the spring game, but it didn’t come to pass,” Jones explained. “We’ll work it in (and) see what we can do.”

As a former quarterback, Knight feels a kinship with Jones, another transfer who joined the 49ers from Bethune-Cookman.

“He’s a very poised quarterback. ... I used to play the position, and I know it can be hard,” Knight said. “You have to have a short memory, and that can affect your game and have you missing throws and missing reads. When teams lose, the first position they look at is the quarterback position. I applaud the work (Jones) has been doing, and how he’s been leading the offense.”

Next level experience

The 49ers have some raucous road environments on the schedule this season and will rely its Power Five transfers, including Knight, who have played on some of the biggest stages. From his first collegiate game against Clemson and the Trevor Lawrence-led Tigers in Death Valley to matchups at Florida State and Notre Dame, Knight knows what it’s like to play in hostile environments.

“What I’m looking forward to more than anything would be Florida,” Knight said of the Sept. 23 matchup in Gainesville. “That’s a night game, and it’s something we’re excited about. I hope they take that one seriously because I know we will.”

Poggi has been impressed by the 6-foot-2, 247-pound linebacker, coining him as a “dude” on the defense.

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“He’s a great player. Great leader. He’s very physical and very smart. ... I don’t know who they had a Georgia Tech, but it must be some dudes because he is a dude,” Poggi said.

With the opener just three weeks away, Charlotte’s defense is looking to improve every day.

Whether or not Poggi and the revamped roster can elevate Charlotte from a bottom-three defense in the nation is yet to be seen.

But one thing is for sure, whether it’s keeping spirits high on the sideline and in the huddle, or simply taking in the experience that is leading a group of men, Knight’s impact is felt throughout the locker room.

“He just earns everyone’s respect by not even speaking. He doesn’t even have to talk,” Caralla said. “If you really watch his actions and how much extra he does on his own — no one has to tell him to do anything, no one has to tell him to be early to get his body right, and no one has to tell him to come in on the weekends. He has an outright unbelievable work ethic.”