Knight was moved up to the varsity as a freshman and was a second team running back. As a sophomore, Derek took over the running back duties for Renaissance and he also started at strong safety. As a junior, Knight put up outstanding numbers from his safety position, racking up 128 tackles, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions. On offense, Knight rushed for 540 yards on 54 carries.

Coach's Comments - "Derek is a terrific athlete. There's a lot of good players in Michigan and I'd put Derek in there as one of the best. Derek is the only player in the school history that will be a three-time captain. He'll also be a two-time captain of our track team." --Antwoine Edwards Knight - "I'm aggressive on the field and I love to hit. I think I'm good at stopping the run but I'm also athletic enough to defend the pass. I'm a defensive back with the mentality of a linebacker."