From JUCO grit to NFL dreams, Miami Hurricanes cornerback Keionte Scott reveals the demanding path that forged a relentless drive and turned him into a draft-ready playmaker.
The NFL Draft features several highly-touted defensive talents, but cornerback Keionte Scott appears to have fallen under the radar. The San Diego, California, native emerged as an impactful playmaker for the Miami Hurricanes’ secondary. He finished last season with 64 total tackles, 42 solos and 22 assists, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, seven passes defended, five passes broken up, and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns, appearing in 14 games.
Scott’s journey throughout college could’ve gone differently had struggling academics not played a factor in the high school recruiting process. It led him to attend Snow College, a community institution located in Ephraim, Utah. After two JUCO All-America seasons, he spent three years with the Auburn Tigers, later to find a new home in South Florida.
In a late-night stream on the Nightcap show, hosted by Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, six-time NFL Pro Bowler Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson, Scott elaborated on what it meant to go the JUCO route ahead of the NFL Draft.
“It just turned me into a dog,” he said. “All of my JUCO products will say the same thing. You get there, it’s just long days and long nights. There’s questions of not knowing if you’re going to make it. You get there and just the brotherhood of things. You get in there with guys with all different types of stories, different backgrounds. Ultimately, you guys come together and build that JUCO bond. I still talk to my JUCO teammates to this day. That JUCO route is just a different ballgame. It makes me real appreciative of just the small things, like getting gloves and cleats. As soon as I got to college, I was just super grateful for all the things and never let those things get over my head. It just shaped me to who I am.”
Scott mentioned before that coach Mario Cristobal recruited him, coming from Snow College to join the Oregon Ducks, before accepting the head coaching job in Miami. Down the line, they would reconnect and join forces.
The 24-year-old went to have a career season with the Hurricanes, earning Second Team All-ACC honors and being named a Jim Thrope Award semifinalist. At one point, Scott was the highest PFF-graded cornerback in the nation. He finished the season as one of two among the position to be graded in the top-10 in run defense and coverage.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Scott had visits with the Houston Texans, Washington Commanders, and Chicago Bears. He’s projected to a third or later round selection. The prospect could be viewed as a ready-now rookie with a high sense of maturity, plus versatility on the field.
In the Pro Day, the star cornerback ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and recorded a 44-inch vertical.
Scott will likely have to be patient before getting the special phone call, but it’s bound to happen.
The first day of the NFL Draft will stream on Thursday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on the NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC.
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