How Auburn’s California kid has emerged as the Tigers’ ‘closer’ on the recruiting trail

How Auburn’s California kid has emerged as the Tigers’ ‘closer’ on the recruiting trail

Auburn junior defensive back Keionte Scott took to the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning to let everyone know he’s got a role in Auburn’s recruiting efforts.

“The closer has activated,” Scott posted, followed by a sunglasses-wearing emoji.

The guy that emerges from the back office at a car dealership and is tasked with getting those teetering back and forth to sign the dotted line? That’s Scott’s job when it comes to Auburn football’s targets on the recruiting trail.

Except unlike those car salesmen, Scott says he’s not selling anything.

“You know, not necessarily sell anything, because it’s the real deal,” Scott said of his role as one of Auburn’s closers. “But just being able to tell the guys the player aspect of things. I feel like that’s big for them and I take pride in that.”

Considering Scott came to Auburn by way of San Diego, him being a vital piece of Auburn’s recruiting efforts is a bit ironic as he wasn’t raised on or around The Plains.

But talk to the Auburn junior, whose college playing career began at Snow College in Utah – a junior college program – and it starts to make a lot of sense.

With more than 2,000 miles stretching between Auburn and Scott’s hometown of San Diego, when Scott arrived to The Plains last fall, it was a big move. He was away from everything and everyone he knew.

However, what he found in Auburn made up for it.

“Home, literally,” Scott said Monday when asked what he’s found in Auburn. “Just a loving place.”

For high school recruits – and their families, especially – finding that in a college football program is important.

And since Scott found just that when he joined the Tigers, it makes his job as the closer easy.

“That’s just my main goal – to just, you know, just be completely honest on how I was brought in and accepted in and be able to preach that,” Scott said. “And then for them to go out and feel that exact same feeling and get those same type of vibes from the program, it’s just an easy thing to do.”

Surely, Auburn’s current coaching staff makes Scott’s job even easier.

Former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff weren’t exactly regarded as the best recruiters. But since arriving to Auburn last November, Hugh Freeze and his staff have worked tirelessly to resurrect Auburn from its recruiting grave.

Over the summer, Freeze and the Tigers went on a tear, first earning the commitment of 5-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick, followed by flipping 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson away from Alabama.

And in recent days, Freeze and the Tigers have set the trail ablaze again.

On Friday, Laquan Robinson, the top-ranked safety out of the junior college ranks, announced his commitment to the Tigers.

The very next day, 4-star edge rusher Jamonta Waller flipped his commitment from the Florida Gators to Auburn.

Come Sunday, 4-star 2025 tight end Ryan Ghea committed to the Tigers, adding to Auburn’s already-impressive 2025 recruiting class.

And with early national signing day just around the corner as it’s scheduled for Dec. 20, Scott anticipates Auburn’s current tear on the recruiting trail to continue.

“Yeah, I do. I do, I do, I do,” Scott said with a grin as he was asked if he thought signing day would be eventful for Auburn. “I definitely think it’s getting a little close to Flipmas.”

“Flipmas” is a term used to describe the timeframe leading up to signing day in which programs are making their last and strongest pushes to flip recruits away from other programs. Waller’s flip on Saturday might’ve been the first domino to fall in Auburn’s direction.

How many – if any – dominoes are still set to fall in Auburn’s direction? Only time will tell.

But you can bet Scott is doing his part in getting Auburn’s targets to commit to what’s being built on The Plains.

“Everything I was told during recruiting has been lived upon and I’ve been able to experience,” Scott said, recalling his own recruitment. “So being able to pass that knowledge on and then for it to just stay true is something that just goes to show about this program and the history behind it.”