Keionte Scott noticed something early on this spring about Auburn freshman cornerback Kayin Lee.

The former four-star prospect was spending an abundance of time in defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff’s office on the second floor of the new Woltosz Football Performance Center, even when other members of the Tigers’ secondary cleared out and were done for the day. Lee, one of Auburn’s early enrollees and the second-highest rated signee in the 2023 class, has been a mainstay in McGriff’s office — and for all the right reasons.

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Lee hasn’t been in trouble or anything. It’s just that he wants to get the Tigers’ defensive coverages down pat as he works to adapt to the college game during his first spring on campus.

“He will not leave the building if he doesn’t understand the coverage,” McGriff said. “He’ll knock on the door and say, ‘Hey Coach, I don’t understand this coverage.’ The first thing I do, I’ll look to see if he has something to write on, and he has his notebook, and as soon as he sits down he pulls it out and is taking notes. He wants to be great. He has the attitude and demeanor where he wants to be great.”

Lee’s insistence on perfecting coverages from an understanding standpoint has translated to the field this spring, as he has been one of the standouts for the Tigers through the first three weeks of practices. It’s not just that he’s impressing as a freshman who is getting his feet wet for the first time; he’s making waves in a veteran-laden secondary that is expected to be the strength of this Auburn team in Year 1 under new coach Hugh Freeze.

“I would describe him as feisty,” Scott said. “If I could use one word, just feisty. Like a pit bull, kind of. He wants to be out there, and you can see it. So, every time he’s out there, he’s taking his reps and making them count, for sure.”

During portions of practices that have been open to the media this spring, Lee has been getting early work with the second-team defense behind returning starters D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett. That’s in part because Auburn’s numbers at cornerback are thin this spring, with just four scholarship players at the position. While more reinforcements will join in the fall, Lee is making the most of his opportunity as Auburn heads into its final two weeks of spring practices.

Both Scott and Puckett identified Lee as someone who has caught their attention in spring practices, while McGriff said the Ellenwood, Ga., native has been “the biggest” standout among Auburn’s younger wave in the secondary — a group that also includes sophomores J.D. Rhym, Caleb Wooden and Cayden Bridges, as well as redshirt freshman Austin Ausberry.

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“The level of style that he played in high school, I feel like he’s bringing that immediately right to the table, and I feel like that’s (not) something that a lot of high schoolers that don’t come in early do,” Puckett said.

Puckett would know. He was also an early enrollee in the spring of 2019, and while he only saw the field in four games that fall while taking a redshirt, he understands the value of these 15 practices for a young defensive back, especially one of Lee’s caliber.

“I feel like getting around the environment, learning the playbook early (and) learning how to maneuver through school, I feel like that’s something that’s a big thing,” Puckett said.

The 5-foot-11, 184-pound Lee was rated as the 16th-best cornerback in the 2023 class and 145th-best overall recruit in the country coming out of Cedar Grove High. Lee committed to Ohio State last July, but Auburn — led by defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge, with an assist from McGriff — worked to flip him on early signing day. The effort paid off, as he committed to Auburn during the early signing period, giving the Tigers one of their two headliners in Freeze’s first class (edge rusher Keldric Faulk, who flipped from Florida State, being the other).

Now Lee is carving out a role for himself in a talented Auburn secondary, and while his college experience is still in the preliminary stages, Puckett is confident the former high school All-American is going to be a “great contributor” for the Tigers this fall.

“I’m excited about his progression,” McGriff said. “He’s making plays. He’s got a lot of confidence. The biggest thing about him like that is don’t put too much on his plate and make sure you coach his confidence up. But he’s doing great. I’m excited about him. He will have an impact on this football team and this program.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.