On his initial visit to Miami, cornerback Keionte Scott peered up into the rafters of the Carol Soffer Practice Facility and stood in awe, admiring the 70-plus names written across orange and white banners commemorating the program’s All-Americans.
Once he committed to the Hurricanes, Scott continued to appreciate the history hanging from above. Only this time, it was from a makeshift bed he created: an air mattress, blanket and pillow. Joined by freshmen wide receivers Malachi Toney and Daylyn Upshaw, the group slept in the facility for a month during Miami’s preseason practices.
“We slept here every day of fall camp,” Scott said. “For me, it was just to be in the moment. When I first came on my visit, I looked around in here, and I just felt like, yeah, this is something. I’ve done it for multiple years, but sleeping in this thing was definitely different.
“Looking up at the banners and all the legends was something I wanted to do. … You look up, and you see Ed Reed and different names, and it was something that I wanted to take in.”
After the Hurricanes’ recent 24-14 victory over Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Scott posted a throwback picture of his sleeping arrangement in fall camp – a reminder of his relentless work ethic.
That drive will serve him well when the Hurricanes take on Mississippi at 5:30 p.m. MST Thursday in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal game.
Throughout this year’s CFP competition, underdogs have taken center stage.
In Bloomington, Indiana, an overlooked quarterback, junior Fernando Mendoza, led a program that had only three winning seasons in the past 30 years to the No. 1 seed and a CFP semifinal appearance. Meanwhile, against all odds amid a late-season coaching change, former Division II quarterback Trinidad Chambliss guided Mississippi to two CFP victories en route to a semifinal appearance.
Scott boasts a story that’s no exception.
Early in his high school career, he lacked the frame to play at the college level. As a late bloomer, the now 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback struggled to secure offers while at Helix High School in San Diego. Additionally, Scott moved back and forth between Southern California and Las Vegas, making it difficult for him to build any traction in the recruitment process.
“I was a very underrecruited guy,” Scott said. “I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to go to college. I was just playing football because I loved it. And I felt like that caused me to slip in the classroom.”
After experiencing a growth spurt before his senior season, Scott commanded more attention as coaches from USC, Washington and San Diego State made visits to Helix. Still, his academic struggles prevented him from pursuing opportunities at the Division I level.
“I feel like my senior year was something that was super heartbreaking because you start balling your senior year and coaches are pulling you out of class every other day,” Scott said. “There were times I would have to go into the office, and stop the coach and literally tell them my grades are not where they need to be. So it was definitely something that was a humbling experience for me, just to realize, like, man, I could have done something so great.”
Scott knew he was destined for community college, but didn’t have a specific school in mind. Initially, he considered a local school in Southern California. That was until he received a call from Zac Erekson, the head coach of junior college football powerhouse Snow College, who offered Scott a scholarship and a chance to compete nationally at the juco level.
Without even taking a visit, he was sold. Scott packed his bags and traded the sunny Southern California skies for the snow-capped hills of Ephraim, Utah, a community of 6,000 nestled in the heart of central Utah.
Snow College is the heart of the town, which nearly doubles its population when school is in session. It features a Walmart, a few fast food restaurants – although when Scott attended Snow, there was only a McDonald’s – and one stoplight. It’s free of distractions – the perfect setting for Scott, who aimed to get his career and grades back on track.
“He’s not the type of kid that needs to go out to the club all night,” Erekson said. “He doesn’t need all that.
“It was very conducive for him to find success in a smaller town environment that still allowed him to excel on the football field on a national stage, and do that with the support of an entire town behind him.”
With a change of scenery, Scott blossomed. He emerged as a two-time junior college All-American and helped lead the Badgers to a National Junior College Athletic Association Championship game appearance.
“I went there as a young boy and left a man,” Scott said. “I feel like the relationships you build, you should take pride in those. I’m definitely very thankful for Coach Erekson and thankful for the whole program in general. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Snow College.”
Something that didn’t change about Scott when he arrived in Ephraim?
His personality.
Scott boasts a larger-than-life persona, a trait that became apparent to Erekson the moment he stepped on campus.
“Keionte took this place by storm and became the big man on campus very quickly,” Erekson said. “One, because of his play. He’s obviously a phenomenal player. But two, he’s such an outgoing and inclusive type of individual (that) his teachers loved him, the food services ladies loved him and the janitors loved him.”
Eventually, Division I schools started to take notice of his play. Erekson recalls coaches such as Bret Bielema of Illinois and Josh Heupel of Tennessee flying into Ephraim on private jets that were too big to fit on the town airport’s small runways.
Ultimately, Scott landed at Auburn, building a connection with defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge and spending three years on the Plains. He started in 23 of 33 games with the Tigers, while also making an impact on special teams.
Although he started his career strong at Auburn, he saw a dip in production following Etheridge’s departure in 2024 when he moved from the nickelback position to outside corner.
After seeing his draft stock plummet, he prepared for the draft, as his collegiate eligibility had expired – or so he thought.
Back in December of 2024, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and hoped to be granted an extra year of eligibility. Pavia won his case, with the ruling allowing other former junior college athletes, Scott included, to appeal and be granted another year of eligibility.
“I literally had my Airbnb, everything you know already, you know, situated as far as getting ready to transition to the next level,” Scott said. “And they were like, man, you get another year. And I just looked at my phone for so long, and I’m just so grateful for being able to get another chance. I mean, I can’t make that up.”
Yet another twist in Scott’s journey allowed him to follow Etheridge to Miami – a far cry from the environments he experienced in his previous two stops.
Defensive coordinator Corey Heatherman recalls an interaction he had with Scott this past offseason on Heatherman’s first recruiting weekend. While many of the other players visiting were out enjoying the city life in Miami, Scott was present in the building, insistent on meeting his future teammates.
“When (Scott) joined the team, the defense instantly got better because of who he is as a person,” Heatherman said. “That’s the guy you want in your culture, that you want in your locker room, that you want in your family because he makes everyone around him better. It’s pulling guys up, helping coach up guys up on the sideline. You might as well have given him a whistle.”
The sixth-year corner excelled in the regular season, notching 58 tackles and fortifying the back end for the Hurricanes. As a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, he seemed on track for a perfect end to his college career.
Then, in a game against Syracuse Nov. 8, he suffered an injury to his right foot. When asked about Scott’s injury, Miami coach Mario Cristobal called it “serious” and provided a grim outlook regarding his chances of returning. Scott missed the final three games of Miami’s regular season, but, miraculously, suited up for the Hurricanes’ first-round matchup against Texas A&M.
He proved to be a game-changer in his return to the lineup, notching 10 tackles, two sacks and forcing a fumble in a 10-3 defensive slugfest that ended in victory for Miami.
Nonetheless, the highlight of his career came last week under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium. Lurking from the nickel position, Scott read the eyes of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, breaking into a dead sprint, plucking the pass out of the air and galloping 75 yards into the end zone.
In celebration, Scott stood tall with his right foot planted in front of his left, and his fist fastened to his hip, mirroring the image of the Jim Thorpe Award. The play earned him Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP honors and helped advance the Hurricanes to the CFP semifinals.
“He’s a character,” Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas said. “We’re bought in. He’s extremely bought into the program and everything that we have going on, and he’s been that way since I’ve met him.”
As Scott prepares for the final chapter in his long-winded collegiate career, he hopes that his relentless work ethic will continue to rub off on the next generation of Miami players and that maybe a few more will follow in his footsteps and sleep in the practice facility.
“Being there and looking up at all the greats every day you wake up, it just pushes you to go harder,” Scott said. “I was able to get some younger guys to go with me, and I’m hoping that translates next year (and) they get some more guys. It’s just something fun to do (and) a way to cut all the distractions out.”
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