Josiah

Scott

Scott (5'9/185) started in all 30 games he played in the B1G, primarily lining up along the perimeter and bouncing inside when the Spartans rotated to nickel packages. Scott allowed one catch or fewer in nearly half his games as a true ‘island’ corner, finishing with 32 passes defended on the 133 targets he faced in coverage. Scott’s limited length (29 3/8" arms) will be an issue against NFL competition — it was against elite collegiate athletes — but his ability to glide in any man-coverage scheme should get him on the field in at least a limited capacity early in his career.

Scott (5'9/185) had a good NFL Scouting Combine when it comes to his athletic testing numbers, but there are concerns. Of course there’s the major knee injury that he suffered during his collegiate career, but there’s also the matter of Scott’s effectiveness (or lack thereof) when defending the run. How he overcomes the health questions and lack of size will determine Scott’s ceiling as a pro. “He has above average recovery burst and athleticism, so he should be able to make the move to the slot despite limited reps there,” Zierlein wrote. “He lacks play strength for matchups against size and will go ankle-biting in run support in order to avoid heavy collisions.”

Scott (5'9/185) clicked his heels in for the fourth-fastest run by a cornerback on Saturday, with official times not quite locked in as of yet (everybody has gone through their two runs, though). An All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2019, Scott’s athletic bonafides are on the money. He is also undersized and has a serious knee injury on his ledger, which NFL teams will have to weigh come April.

Scott (5'10/171) announced that he would forego his final season of eligibility, and his departure leaves a noticeable void in the Michigan State secondary. The talented cornerback appeared in all 13 of the Spartans’ games this season, accounting for 55 total tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Scott, who also broke up eight passes, is considered by some analysts to be a Day 2/Day 3 prospect heading into draft season.

Scott (5'10/171) was injured just two plays into the game and immediately taken to the locker room to be checked out, presumably for a concussion. Consider the junior questionable to return to action at this early juncture.

Scott (5'10/171) was injured during last weekend’s loss to Illinois, unable to return after he originally left the game. The junior cornerback is expected to be available for this Saturday’s game against Michigan, giving the Spartans a needed boost in the secondary. For the season, Scott has accounted for 46 total tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups.

Non-contact injuries are almost always some of the most severe, making this a really bad sign prior to the season. HC Mark Dantonio prefaced his statement about Scott’s timetable with “probably,” but it seems safe to assume he will be out quite some time. Dantonio isn’t too worried about the temporary loss of the former Freshman All-American and said “we’ve got guys that can play.” Even with Dantonio trying to rationalize Scott’s injury, he will be a big loss if he’s forced to be sidelined for any amount of time during the regular season.

Scott (5'10/170) is looking to build on a 2017 season in which he posted 30 tackles, an interception and nine passes defended while starting 12 of 13 games as a true freshman. The lone contest he did not appear in -- versus Maryland -- was due to an injury concern. Former four-star recruit Scott picked up Freshman All-America honors from ESPN at the end of the campaign.