Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze provided a promising update on defensive back Keionte Scott, confirming he’s expected to return to full action in Auburn’s upcoming matchup against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Scott was restricted to punt return duties in Auburn’s 24-10 victory over Kentucky after tweaking his ankle earlier in the week during practice, according to Freeze. Although he made progress as the week went on, the coaching staff kept him out of defensive play to ensure his health for the season’s final stretch.
“He showed improvement, but we felt it was best to rest him and have him ready for the rest of the season,” Freeze noted.
Scott initially sustained the ankle injury at the start of Wednesday’s practice, sidelining him for the remainder of that day and all of Thursday’s practice. Given Kentucky’s limited offensive plays (52 snaps), the staff opted to stick with their defensive rotation, and Scott saw limited action on special teams, returning two punts for a total of 17 yards.
This season, Scott has registered 15 tackles, adding to his Auburn career totals of 112 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack, 10 pass deflections, and one interception since transferring from Snow College in Utah before the 2022 season.
Despite Scott’s limited play, Auburn’s defense stepped up, intercepting Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff twice and holding the Wildcats to a mere 224 yards of total offense. Their performance was highlighted by a lockdown run defense, which limited Kentucky to just 70 rushing yards.
With a challenging game against Vanderbilt ahead, Auburn is aiming to be as healthy as possible. Vanderbilt has played tough against some top SEC teams this season, and Auburn now has an opportunity to prove that they are not an easy win.
