All of the younger boys will follow him as he directs traffic.
Jaylin Simpson’s face brightened and his eyebrows sprang upward.
When Keionte Scott switched from nickel to outside cornerback for Auburn’s bowl practices, he was there and helped counteract D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett’s opt-outs. However, Scott intends to finish his collegiate career at cornerback in 2024, as he stated late in the previous campaign.
Simpson tilted his head and grinned when told the relocation would be permanent starting the next year.
Did he? This week in Mobile, Simpson said, “I didn’t even know that.” After a Senior Bowl practice, Simpson motioned to a few players who would shortly be selected in the NFL draft by saying, “He could come out here and play any position right now.”
Auburn will hope Scott has the sort of season in 2024 that will put him in position to be an NFL selection. Even though he will be a three-year starter in the secondary next season, Scott will still be the group’s undisputed leader since the other four starters—Simpson, Zion Puckett, James, and Pritchett—are all headed to the professional ranks. Donovan Kaufman, a veteran who supported Scott at Nickel extensively, also logged into the transfer site.
The Tigers also sighed with satisfaction at Scott’s status as one of the most crucial members of Auburn’s squad in 2024. According to Auburn Undercover, Scott had planned to transfer last month but ultimately decided to come back.
Thus, rather than Auburn’s secondary being in utter disarray, Scott, who led the team in tackles the previous two seasons, will rejoin the Tigers in 2024. And Scott will shift from nickel to the outside for a host of reasons that are advantageous to Auburn and himself.
“He’s got it all,” Simpson said. “He will undoubtedly attend this game the following year. There you have an All-SEC player.
Prior to attending Auburn, Scott was a JUCO All-American cornerback at Snow College in Utah. As he mentioned before bowl preparations, he is also looking forward to the chance to demonstrate his increased flexibility on tape for the NFL.
That’s not to mention Auburn’s need at cornerback with James and Pritchett — who were both at the Senior Bowl — both poised to be picked.
I feel like it helps me more when you get to use the sidelines as your buddy,” Scott remarked in December. “Because I now have to guard guys so that, should I gain a certain amount of leverage, I can push them to one side and essentially turn it into a one-side release instead of having to (defend) guys with so much space.” I can’t wait to get back outside, receive some sideline assistance, and focus on the ball.
However, Kaufman’s transfer and Scott’s departure provide some further concerns for Auburn at nickel. In spring practice, players such as Champ Anthony and Caleb Wooden ought to be the front-runners.
Kayin Lee, a true freshman who started three games as a rookie and finished the season as the team’s third-best cornerback, would be a likely choice to start at cornerback alongside Scott.
In a secondary that went from having the most seasoned bunch to having some of the inexperienced, Auburn will depend on Scott’s seasoned presence, both on and off the field, under the guidance of returning cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff and new assistant Charles Kelly.
At the Senior Bowl, Pritchett stated, “Keionte can play both corner and nickel — I really think he’s going to be the heartbeat of the secondary.” “The younger boys will all follow him when he leads the way once he gets inside.
