The first time he committed to Delaware, Will Knight said he liked the idea of playing football in his home state.

“It’s real special because I’ll have all the support from home,” the former Smyrna High All-State running back said in August 2017. “Everyone can come support me and see what I do best right here in Delaware.”

That still seemed like Knight’s main motivation when, after spending a season at Old Dominion, he announced he was transferring to UD in May 2019.

“I’m coming home!” Knight posted at the time.

But things change.

After one promising season with the Blue Hens, Knight announced last Sunday that’s he transferring to a new, as-yet-to-be-named school.

The news came as a surprise around the state. The reason for Knight’s decision has been hotly debated on fan message boards all week.

Knight is hardly alone in his move. With the NCAA relaxing eligibility rules during the coronavirus pandemic, there’s been lots of college athletes choosing new schools for all kinds of reasons lately.

Knight’s teammate, former Smyrna star linebacker Debo Williams, announced four days earlier that he was transferring from Delaware to South Carolina.

Williams had a connection to the Gamecocks in running back Marshawn Lloyd, a Wilmington native who played at DeMatha Catholic in high school. Plus, the allure of playing in the SEC was apparently pretty strong for Williams.

In interview with thetate.com, Williams said he felt he was overlooked by college recruiters.

“I’ll just put it this way,” Williams told the South Carolina publication. “I didn’t have any SEC offers coming out of high school. All them teams have to pay for that. Coming for vengeance.”

As the product of a small state, Williams also said he felt he had something to prove.

“Kids from Delaware don’t get to make it to a big school like USC,” he told The State. “I have to put on and be the model for us to show them it’s possible.”

Knight’s transfer is a little different, though.

He’d already made the decision twice to play for Delaware. He’d also established himself with the Hens, running for over 900 yards and earning second-team All-CAA honors in the fall of 2019.

Also, his friend Nolan Henderson — who he’s played with since Pop Warner — is slated to be the Hens’ starting quarterback this spring.

“It’s just like clockwork when we get back there,” Knight said in August 2019 about being in the same backfield with Henderson again.

“It feels great. It just brings back memories from Pop Warner when we first started. We would never have thought that we would have got this far.”

Delaware coach Danny Rocco said he was disappointed to lose both Knight and Williams.

“We wish them well as they pursue other options,” Rocco said in a statement. “We recognize this past year we have seen COVID-19 disruptions along with the conversation of new transfer legislation, impacting rosters all over the country.

“We are excited for the start of our preseason, as well as competing in games this spring.”

The pandemic, of course, has given college student-athletes more time to think about their situations. While FCS Division I teams like Delaware did practice this past fall, the players have been away from real competition for a while now.

The Hens’ coaching staff has evolved, too. Veteran coach Bill Cubit, who has since left, was Knight’s running backs coach in 2019.

Knight’s next destination might explain what he’s looking for. In 2019, though, he was excited to be at Delaware.

“This is home,” Knight said in pre-season. “They welcomed me back with open arms. Since day one, we’ve been fighting together.

“I can’t wait to strap up in this blue and gold. Yes sir, I can’t wait. … It’s going to be a whole, new feeling.”

But things change.

Afro American Hall inductees

The Delaware Afro American Sports Hall of Fame has announced a class of 12 for this year’s induction ceremony.

The induction will take place on April 17 at 6 p.m. and be held via a Zoom call.

Former Delaware State football great John Taylor and DSU athletic director John Martin Sr. are slated to go into the Hall.

Locally, this year’s inductees include a pair of Cape High standouts in Timothy Gray Sr. and Wallace Jay Maull along with Hollis Smack Jr. (Woodbridge), Matthew Spence Jr. (Indian River), Stephanie Tolson-Scott (Lake Forest) and Chris Webb (Seaford).

Other inductees are former DSU basketball standouts Vince Garlick and Dana Roane, Winfred Backus (Middletown) and Nathan Evans (Wilmington).

Odds & ends

Wesley College defensive lineman Shymere Vessels, the Woodbridge High grad, has announced that he’s transferred to Delaware Valley for his senior season. … Both the Delaware State and Delaware football teams are scheduled to start conditioning this week in advance of their spring seasons. … Former Blue Hen linebacker Troy Reeder is second on the L.A. Rams with 81 tackles. … Middletown High grad Chris Godwin has 65 catches for 840 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tampa Bay Bucs.