After entering the transfer portal on Dec. 24, Keionte Scott announced Friday that he will spend his final year of eligibility at Houston.

Scott has one more season of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA’s recent ruling that gave seniors who previously played at the JUCO level an extra year of eligibility. He spent three seasons at Auburn after playing two years at Snow College in Utah.

Scott was Auburn’s starting nickel in 2022 and 2023, before switching over to corner ahead of the 2024 season. He began the season as a starter, but nagging injuries and inconsistent play caused Scott’s playing time to decrease as the season went on.

He finished his three-year Auburn career with 113 total tackles, eight pass deflections, one interception and one sack.

At Houston, Scott will reunite with former Auburn secondary coach Zac Etheridge, who coached Scott in 2022 and 2023. The Cougars finished the 2024 season 4-8 and 3-6 in Big 12 play.

Despite Scott’s departure, Auburn will return most of its secondary from the 2024 season. Starting corners Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee are both set to return, and Auburn added Miami (OH) transfer Raion Strader from the transfer portal. Champ Anthony, Auburn’s nickel to start the 2024 season, is also set to return after a leg injury forced him to miss most of last season.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m