Shortly after being introduced to the game as an 8-year old, one of the first lessons Shekai Mills-Knight was taught about playing running back was the importance of forward lean: Always surge forward for every positive yard.
Shortly after introducing himself to college scouts with a breakout debut season in American football last fall, Baylor School’s budding star has experienced a significant surge in his recruiting attention.
When Mills-Knight moved from Canada to Chattanooga last summer to join the Red Raiders, hobbled by a high-ankle sprain from an all-star game, the clout he had built as a heralded star north of the border had not yet followed him to the States.
It didn’t take long, however, for the 6-foot-2, 215-pound specimen to make his name known as a fast-rising prospect. After picking up his first collegiate offer from Ole Miss on Oct. 23 and his second (from Big 12 member Cincinnati) three days later, Mills-Knight’s offer sheet has exploded. In addition to Ole Miss, three more Southeastern Conference programs — Tennessee, Vanderbilt and South Carolina — made offers in December, shortly after his impressive performance in the TSSAA Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl state championship game
Since the calendar flipped to the new year, 24 more teams have extended offers as he has become one of the state’s most sought-after players in the class of 2025.