UM adds veteran SEC cornerback. And Canes AD updates status of Miami-Notre Dame series
Former Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott committed to join the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday, giving Miami a seventh veteran acquisition in the post-spring portal period.
Scott, who also can play safety, is expected to compete with Damari Brown and former Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley for the top nickel corner role. All three of those players also can play on the boundary, where OJ Frederique and Wisconsin transfer Xavier Lucas are the front-runners to start.
Scott originally transferred to Houston after last season ended but left the Cougars after four months. There’s history with Scott and new UM defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge; they were together at Auburn.
Scott was a junior college All-American for two years before moving onto Auburn, where he played 33 games and started 23 over three seasons. He had 115 tackles, a sack and an interception over those three years.
Last year was a struggle. Playing primarily outside cornerback, he allowed 16 of 22 passes in his coverage area to be caught for 317 yards (a 19.8 average) and two touchdowns, equaling a poor 145.1 passer rating in his coverage area.
He was much more effective as a slot cornerback earlier in his career, and that’s likely where he can particularly help UM.
One concern is missed tackles; he has missed 25 in his career, per PFF. But his size (6-0), athleticism, experience, versatility and punt returns skills are strengths.
Scott has averaged 10.3 yards on 43 career punt returns, with a touchdown, and led the SEC in that category (14.8 on 15 returns) in 2023.
Former BYU receiver Keelan Marion, who committed to UM recently, averaged a Big 12-leading-26.2 yards on 18 kickoff returns last season, with two touchdowns.
So UM now has two returners who led major conferences in return averages.
Frederique, Lucas, Brown, Scott, Brantley, Ethan O’Connor and Jadais Richard (who’s coming off a major knee injury) are projected to be UM’s top seven cornerbacks, with competition determining which of those seven ends up playing less than the others. Frederique was one of the top freshmen cornerbacks in the country last season, and Lucas made a strong case for a starting job with an impressive performance in the spring.
UM has added seven veteran players since spring practice ended: Scott, Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas, receivers Marion and Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), North Carolina State linebacker Kamal Bonner, Texas kicker Bert Auburn and North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown.
A top UM target - Houston safety AJ Haulcy - committed to LSU on Sunday. A top defensive tackle target - Braxton Feely - withdrew from the portal and opted to stay at Boise State.
UM-Notre Dame update
In the wake of Clemson and Notre Dame agreeing to a 12-year football series, UM said it’s interested in playing Notre Dame more, as well.
“The concept of Miami playing Notre Dame more often is an intriguing one,” UM athletic director Dan Radavovich conveyed to The Miami Herald.
“There are certain factors that we don’t control such as the number of games Notre Dame plays within the conference. We also have several SEC non-conference matchups scheduled over the next six years. But we think playing Notre Dame more often would be great for both programs and both fan bases.”
The Canes and Notre Dame are set to open the season at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday night, Aug. 31 at Hard Rock Stadium, with ABC televising nationally.
This is the start of a new series that will include six games over the next 10 seasons.
UM and Notre Dame are also scheduled to play in 2028 and 2031 and 2037 in South Bend, and in 2032 and 2034 in Miami.
Beginning in 1971, the two schools played 19 times over 20 seasons, and several of the games in the 1980s produced some of the more memorable moments in college football history.
But they have played only four times since 1990: Notre Dame wins in 2010 (the Sun Bowl), 2012 and 2016 and a 41-8 UM win in November 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The teams were originally scheduled to play last season in South Bend, Indiana. But UM had a scheduling conundrum, with five nonconference games slated for four slots this past season. Instead, the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish agreed to move the 2024 game to 2026 in South Bend.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM.
