"This was definitely intentional", "Time to cancel Phil Steele": Fans react as recruiting analyst makes awkward Noah Knigga blunder

It is not unusual for athletes to make headlines for their performance, but some also gain attention for their unique names, such as Eastern Michigan freshman Noah Knigga. Back in his junior year of high school, Knigga went viral due to his name, and the trend continues to follow him.

This week, Knigga's name made waves again after a controversial typo appeared in Phil Steele’s college football preview magazine. The publication printed his name as “Noah N**ga,” a deeply offensive racial slur. An Instagram post by cfbalerts called out the error and sarcastically suggested it was no accident, writing:

“Phil Steele knew what he was doing."

The error sparked massive backlash online, as many fans expressed outrage, calling the act deliberate:

"This was definitely intentional," a fan wrote.

Fans react as recruiting analyst makes awkward Noah Knigga blunder

"Time to cancel Phil Steele. He knew what he was doing," a netizen wrote.

Fans react as recruiting analyst makes awkward Noah Knigga blunder

"Tired being slick with it," one added. "Ah shucks," one exclaimed.

Fans react as recruiting analyst makes awkward Noah Knigga blunder

Meanwhile, some users even speculated that the typo was a publicity stunt to attract attention to the magazine:

"This magazine is now worth a large some of money," a fan mocked. "Forgot the k but def ain forget the extra g," a netizen added.

Fans react as recruiting analyst makes awkward Noah Knigga blunder

When Knigga’s name initially became an internet meme, he and his family appeared in an interview with ESPN’s Robert Griffin III, where he clarified the correct pronunciation of his last name as “kuh-nay-guh.”

Noah Knigga is a graduate of Lawrenceburg High School in Indiana. On3 Industry Rankings tabbed him as the No. 218 linebacker in the 2025 class, the No. 45 recruit in Indiana and the No. 2,277 prospect in the nation.

Noah Knigga aims to make his name known through performance at Eastern Michigan

Noah Knigga chose Eastern Michigan over West Virginia and Arkansas State. As he enters his freshman year of college football, the linebacker is focused on earning recognition for his performance on the field rather than for his distinctive name.

Throughout his high school career, Knigga recorded 318 total tackles, including 67 for a loss. In his senior season in 2025 alone, he tallied 111 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two interceptions.

Noah Knigga's accomplishments include four All-EIAC selections, two conference championships, two sectional titles, a spot on the Class 3A Junior All-State team in 2023 and inclusion in the Indiana Football Digest Prime Time 25.

Edited by John Maxwell