Hurricanes get good news on injury front ahead of playoff game vs. Texas A&M
The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes expect to get a major reinforcement back when they begin their College Football Playoff run.
Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal on Monday said he anticipates nickel cornerback Keionte Scott returning for their first-round College Football Playoff matchup against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas (noon, ABC/ESPN).
“He’s looking great,” Cristobal said.
Scott did not play in Miami’s final three regular-season games — a home win at NC State and road wins against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh — due to an undisclosed lower-body injury that Cristobal called “serious” and “gut-wrenching” at the time.
Scott, who was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award given annually to college football’s top defensive back, did a little bit of everything for Miami prior to the injury. At the time he was sidelined, Scott led the Hurricanes with 10 tackles for loss and five pass breakups to go along with 43 tackles (second on the team at the time), three sacks (tied for second on the team at the time) and an interception returned for a touchdown.
“He’s exactly how you would draw a football player by his level of play and his mentality,” Cristobal said. “I mean, that guy, look, no one’s ever going to get cleared unless a doctor clears him. But there’s also a mental aspect that goes into recovery. You push yourself mentally and you’re positive and you will yourself as part of it. He has done that, and he looks great. He’s looking great. We’ll see what it looks like later in the week.”
Added defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman: “Obviously, if you get a guy back like that, that’s a huge boost in all areas.”
But Hetherman also stressed the value of continued development from players who filled in for Scott.
True freshman Bryce Fitzgerald was at the forefront of that. He started at nickel cornerback over the final three regular-season games.
“Guys have stepped up in different situations, different games and different packages,” Hetherman said, “and I’m excited about the growth and development that our guys have had. ... We’re continuing to push our guys and continue to work that development every day in practice, and I think that’s been the major push for us the last couple of weeks.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM.
.JPG)