Rhema McKnight attended Kennedy High School in La Palma, California. Rhema didn’t play football until earning a starting position his sophomore year in high school. As a junior, Rhema started at free safety and receiver. He caught 62 passes for 1,142 yards and 15 touchdowns that season. He also had four punt returns for touchdowns. As a senior he caught 20 passes for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,483 yards and 21 more touchdowns. He also passed for 451 yards and 2 more scores. Rhema accepted a scholarship to play receiver at Notre Dame where he saw action in all 12 games as a true freshman, catching 9 passes for 91 yards on the season. He earned a starting position as a sophomore, leading the Irish in receiving with 47 receptions for 600 yards and 3 touchdowns. He average 14.2 yards per return on 5 attempts as a punt returner. As a junior, Rhema saw action in all 12 games, starting 9. He led the team in receiving again with 42 receptions for 610 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rhema suffered a setback his senior season, suffering a torn ACL in the second game, effectively ending his season. He accumulated 5 receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown prior to the injury. Rhema was awarded a medical redshirt, giving him an extra year of eligibility. He returned to have a strong season as a senior, setting career highs in receptions (67), yards (907), and touchdowns (15).

Rhema McKnight is an experienced receiver who has started at Notre Dame for three of the past four years. Rhema is an intelligent player and a hard worker. He has a good combination of size, speed, and athleticism for a receiver. He has good body control and decent hands. He will go up and catch the ball at its highest point. He is a tough player who will make a difficult catch over the middle. He will take a hit and hold onto the football. He runs pretty good routes but still could improve in that area. He has the size and strength to be a good blocker and he does give a good effort, but he could still improve his blocking. He also has experience as a punt returner, both in high school and his first two years at Notre Dame. Durability could be a cause for concern with McKnight. He struggled to stay healthy in college with an injured shoulder, torn ACL and a wrist injury which required surgery. Rhema McKnight is a talented player who could develop into a good possession receiver in the NFL if he can stay healthy. He has a chance to be a first day pick in the 2007 NFL draft.