{{Short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox CFL biography |name=Deionte Knight |image=2022, 92, Deionte Knight.jpg |caption=Knight in 2022 |team= |number= |position1=Defensive lineman |birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|4|7}} |birth_place=Ajax, Ontario, Canada |Height_ft=6 |Height_in=3 |Weight_lbs=290 |CIS=Western |high_school= |CFLDraftedYear=2022 |CFLDraftedRound=2 |CFLDraftedPick=10 |playing_years1={{CFL Year|2022|2024}} |playing_team1=Toronto Argonauts |playing_years2={{CFL Year|2024}} |playing_team2=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |playing_years3={{CFL Year|2025}} |playing_team3=Ottawa Redblacks |status=Active |import=no |career_highlights= * Grey Cup champion (2022) * Vanier Cup champion (2021) * J. P. Metras Trophy (2021) |CFL=deionte-knight/166982/ }}
'''Deionte Knight''' (born April 7, 1999) is a Canadian professional football defensive lineman. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
==University career== Knight played for the Western Mustangs of U Sports football from 2018 to 2021.<ref name=Western>{{cite web|url=https://westernmustangs.ca/sports/football/roster/deionte-knight/30281 |title=Deionte Knight |publisher=Western Mustangs |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref><ref name=TORbio>{{cite web|url=https://www.argonauts.ca/players/deionte-knight/166982/ |title=Deionte Knight |publisher=Toronto Argonauts |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref> He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, but managed to record 96 tackles and 13.5 sacks in three seasons.<ref name=signed>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2022/05/04/western-standout-deionte-knight-one-of-nine-canadians-added-to-argos-roster-in-2022-cfl-draft/ |title=Western standout Deionte Knight one of nine Canadians added to Argos roster in 2022 CFL Draft |publisher=3DownNation |date=May 4, 2022}}</ref> In his final year, in 2021, he recorded 52 tackles, including 13 for a loss, ten sacks, and two forced fumbles as he won the J. P. Metras Trophy that year.<ref name=signed/> To end the year, Knight won a Vanier Cup championship after the Mustangs defeated the Saskatchewan Huskies in the 56th Vanier Cup where Knight recorded three tackles and one sack.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|url=https://universitysport.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2021-22c/boxscores/20211204_dab8.xml |title=Saskatchewan at Western |publisher=U Sports |date=December 4, 2021}}</ref>
==Professional career== [[File:2024, 92, Deionte Knight.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Knight with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024]] ===Toronto Argonauts=== Knight was drafted in the second round, 10th overall, in the 2022 CFL draft by the Toronto Argonauts and signed with the team on May 20, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2022/05/20/argos-sign-2022-second-round-pick-deionte-knight-add-canadian-cornerback-arjen-colquhoun-to-retired-list/ |title=Argos sign 2022 second-round pick Deionte Knight, add Canadian cornerback Arjen Colquhoun to retired list |publisher=3DownNation |date=May 20, 2022}}</ref> He began the 2022 season on the injured list but made his professional debut on August 20, 2022, against the Calgary Stampeders.<ref name=2022notes>{{cite web |url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022_CFL_Gm_Notes_GC109_Wpg_vs_Tor.pdf |title=Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 29, 2023 |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118030218/https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022_CFL_Gm_Notes_GC109_Wpg_vs_Tor.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> He returned to the injured list shortly after, but returned near the end of the season, including making his first career start on October 29, 2022, against the Montreal Alouettes.<ref name=2022notes/> In total, Knight played in four regular season games where he recorded two defensive tackles.<ref name=TORbio/> He was on the injured list during the post-season, including when the Argonauts won the 109th Grey Cup championship.<ref name=2022notes/>
Knight made the team's active roster following training camp in 2023 and had three defensive tackles as a back-up in the season-opening game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CFL-2023-Gm-17-TOR-vs-HAM-Final-Stats.pdf |title=CFL Game Details |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref> He played in 17 regular season games where he had 17 defensive tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.<ref name=CFLguide>{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2050/11/2024-CFL-Guide-Digital.pdf |title=2024 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
To begin the 2024 season, Knight was a healthy scratch on the one-game injured list, but dressed for the team's next two games without recording a statistic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2024/07/03/hamilton-tiger-cats-nab-dl-deointe-knight-from-toronto-argonauts/ |title=Hamilton Tiger-Cats nab DL Deointe Knight from Toronto Argonauts |publisher=3DownNation |date=July 3, 2024}}</ref> He was then moved to the practice roster on July 1, 2024.<ref name=2024T>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2024/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=December 10, 2024}}</ref>
===Hamilton Tiger-Cats=== On July 3, 2024, Knight was claimed off of the Argonauts' practice roster by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ticats.ca/2024/07/03/ticats-transactions-july-3/ |title=Ticats transactions |publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |date=July 3, 2024}}</ref> He dressed in 12 regular season games as a backup where he recorded four defensive tackles.<ref name=2024notes>{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024-GN-Gm-84-Ham-vs-Cgy.pdf |title=Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=December 10, 2024}}</ref> He was transferred to the practice roster for the last two games of the season where his contract expired on October 26, 2024.<ref name=2024T/>
===Ottawa Redblacks=== On December 6, 2024, Knight signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.<ref name=2024T/> He was released during training camp on May 21, 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2025/05/21/ottawa-redblacks-release-former-second-round-cfl-draft-pick-deionte-knight-sign-two/ |title=Ottawa Redblacks release former second-round CFL draft pick Deionte Knight, sign two |publisher=3DownNation |date=May 21, 2025}}</ref> He re-signed with the Redblacks on September 2, 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2025/09/02/ottawa-redblacks-bring-back-former-second-round-draft-pick-deionte-knight/ |title=Ottawa Redblacks bring back former second-round CFL draft pick Deionte Knight |publisher=3DownNation |date=September 2, 2025}}</ref> He played in three games where he recorded one defensive tackle. He was released in the following off-season on January 23, 2026.<ref name=2026T>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2026/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=January 25, 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Knight's father, DeWayne Knight, played in parts of four seasons as a linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and BC Lions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/q-a-western-mustangs-lineman-deionte-knight-on-his-parents-football-and-seizing-the-day-1.6456088 |title=Q&A: Western Mustangs lineman Deionte Knight on his parents, football and seizing the day |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=May 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cflapedia.com/Database/k.htm |title=Players, K |publisher=cflapedia.com |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/players/deionte-knight/166982/ Ottawa Redblacks bio] *{{commonscatinline}}
{{109th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Deionte}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian football defensive linemen Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Category:Ottawa Redblacks players Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario Category:Sportspeople from Ajax, Ontario Category:Toronto Argonauts players Category:Western Mustangs football players