Tag: Bydarrius Knighten

Former Auburn safety signs with USFL’s Gamblers

Another former Tigers player is getting a shot at professional football.

On Friday, the Houston Gamblers announced that they had signed former Auburn safety [autotag]Bydarrius Knighten[/autotag]. This news comes three weeks after Knighten received an invite to the Chicago Bears’ rookie minicamp.

Knighten transferred to the Plains from Southeast Missouri State. He was a four-year starter at safety for the Redhawks. Over the course of those four seasons in Cape Girardeau, he was named as an All-OVC selection twice. He recorded 255 tackles and six interceptions during his time in the FCS. After the 2020 season ended, Knighten decided to enter the transfer portal.

He chose to transfer to Auburn where he served as a starting safety for Derek Mason’s defense. In his lone season at Auburn, he tallied 46 tackles and two interceptions. Since he was a fifth-year senior, Knighten had to enter his name into the 2022 NFL draft.

After going undrafted, he received the opportunity to attend rookie minicamp with the Chicago Bears. Things didn’t go as planned, so he will now focus on making the most of his opportunity with the Houston Gamblers. Several other players in the league are Sal Cannella, Christian Tutt, Marquis McClain, Calvin Ashley, Xavier Dampeer, and John Franklin III. It will be interesting to see what Knighten does with the Gamblers moving forward.

Former Auburn defensive back receives invite to Bears rookie minicamp

Former Auburn DB and two-time All-OVC defensive back receives opportunity to participate at the Bears’ rookie minicamp.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nathan King of 247Sports reported that former Auburn defensive back [autotag]Bydarrius Knighten[/autotag] had received an invite to the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp.

Knighten came out of high school as unranked and chose to sign with Southeast Missouri (SEMO). He would sign with the Redhawks as a part of their 2017 class. The Mississippi native spent four total seasons in Cape Girardeau.

In the four seasons that Knighten spent at Southeast Missouri, he recorded 255 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and six interceptions. In compliance with his production for the Redhawks, he was named as an All-OVC selection in both 2018 and 2019. After the 2020 season concluded, Knighten elected to enter the transfer portal.

He would ultimately choose Auburn over Mississippi State which was heavily involved in his recruitment as well. In the lone season that he spent on the Plains, Knighten was able to contribute immediately. He was the Tigers’ starting safety over the course of the 2021 season.

Knighten would go on to record 30 tackles and two interceptions with the Tigers. With his college eligibility being exhausted, he had no choice but to turn pro.

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

It certainly wasn’t the ideal situation for Knighten in regards to the 2022 NFL draft. However, he has now been given the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp. This means that Knighten would have to really impress the Bears coaches as well as the front office.

If he is able to do so, he would likely be added to the team’s practice squad. He has the option to attend other NFL teams’ minicamps. However, the Bears are the only team that has extended an invite to their rookie minicamp. It will be interesting to see what Knighten can do with this new opportunity.