The three-year starter at nose guard, Scott was expected to emerge from the shadows of former teammate, Philip Merling, to take over leadership responsibilities for a young defense in 2008. Scott struggled early in the season, resulting in the university deciding to change coaches at midseason. Scott responded briefly, but then limped through the late stages of his final season with a knee injury.

The 2008 preseason Outland Trophy candidate failed to make much of an impact through the first six games. Freshman backup Brandon Thompson was considered to be performing at the same level until Clemson's coaching change, which included defensive line coach Chris Rumph initiating a candid chat with Scott. Scott responded with a season-high eight tackles against Georgia Tech and lived up to his preseason billing.

At Ridge View High School, Scott was rated the 30th-best defensive tackle in the nation by CollegeFootballNews.com and 32nd by Super Prep. The three-year starter was also named first-team All-State by the Associated Press and an All-Atlantic Region pick by Prep Star. The Super Southern 100 team pick by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he added All-Mid Atlantic honors from Super Prep and was a two-time All-Area and All-Conference choice.

Scott recorded had 242 career tackles, 31 stops for loss, seven sacks, 35 quarterback pressures, four caused fumbles, six recovered fumbles, and one defensive touchdown. He was named team defensive MVP three times. He posted 101 tackles and 12 stops for loss on defense and graded 89% for blocking consistency as an offensive lineman in his final campaign. As a junior, he posted 70 tackles with three forced fumbles and five stops behind the line of scrimmage, making 71 stops, including 13 for loss during his sophomore season.

Scott chose Clemson over Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina, enrolling in 2004. He spent the season redshirting. Prior to the start of the 2005 campaign, his frustration at being third on the depth chart. Scott briefly left the team, resulting in the coaches sitting him down for the first three games upon his return. He appeared in nine contests, producing 10 pressures along with 18 tackles (10 solo) and two sacks.

Scott took over nose guard duties in 2006, going on to start the next 38 games he appeared in. He collected a career-high 54 tackles (32 solos) that included three sacks and eight pressures. The following season, he finished third among Tiger down linemen with 50 tackles (32 solos), adding three sacks and eight pressures while also picking off a pass.

The 2008 Outland Trophy Watch List member never got untracked as a senior. He sat out the Duke game and missed most of the Florida State clash with a knee sprain. He delivered 39 tackles (29 solos) with 7.5 stops for loss, including one sack and added ten pressures.

GENERAL REPORT

GRADE: 5.54

Body Structure: Scott has good size for a defensive tackle and the quickness to play defensive end, but will need to add more bulk if lined up at the nose guard position in the NFL, but has room to carry at least another 15 pounds without it impacting his above-average foot speed. He has a solid upper-body frame with good hip width but shorter than ideal arms.

Athletic Ability: Scott has very good initial quickness and timed speed for a player his size, but labors considerably coming out of his stance, looking too lethargic attacking blockers at the point. He shows good balance to make plays on the edge, but lacks the flexibility and burst to accelerate to the ball on outside running plays. He has marginal-to-adequate lateral agility and change-of-direction skills. Is used in a line rotation, but tires late in games, when you can see a drop off in his play. He does show good feet and body control, but is best when he is kept operating strictly in the box, as he will run out of gas when having to run long distances. GRADE: 5.9

Football Sense: Doesn't show the quick-twitch athleticism you might expect and can be lethargic coming off the snap. He lacks a good feel for leverage, as he does not show consistent low pad level. He also lacks stamina, an area that must improve or he'll be relegated to reserve duty in the NFL. GRADE: 5.0

Character: Scott is a well-liked teammate who overcame early "homesickness" to start his last 38 games, but his work ethic is questionable. When the coaching staff change took place during 2008, he needed a "dressing down" by his position coach to light a fire under him. He is not considered a team leader and there are questions about his lack of production. GRADE: 5.6

Competitiveness: Scott's motor runs hot and cold. He's a non-factor late in games. He will play like a bull in a china shop for several series before taking the rest of the day off. If he tires, he seems to want to be on the sideline rather than the field. Whether he has the mental toughness to play the game at the next level is open to question. When his motor is running, he is a good competitor who pursues, but he tires late in games. He also needs to develop a mean streak. He could otherwise be a candidate for a move to offensive guard, to take advantage of his balance, foot speed and strength. GRADE: 5.4

Work Habits: Scott appears to have good focus in the weight room, but despite good lifting totals, he needs to greatly improve his stamina. He wears down in games and if 2008 is any evidence, he still needs structure from the coaches to produce. He is a team-first player who is liked by his coaches, but he is just not the type that will produce on a consistent level. GRADE: 5.8

ATHLETIC REPORT

GRADE: 5.49

Explosion/Pursuit: Scott's impressive timed speed should help him get off the ball, as he shows good balance and the ability to power through gaps. He is not a quick-twitch type. He flashes adequate initial quickness, but is inconsistent with his second move once he breaks free from blocks. He uses his arms effectively to split the gaps, but seems to lose some body control on the move. GRADE: 5.2

Strength at Point: Scott has impressive weight room numbers, but his playing strength doesn't always reflect that strength. He is not an effective two-gap type, as he gets too high, failing to gain leverage to hold his ground and has some stiffness when trying to redirect. He has to be moving in order to be effective and he has above-average hand strength, but he needs to play with his pad level down. When he comes off the ball in a high stance, blockers immediately attack his exposed chest, driving Scott off the line. Even with his thick lower body, he fails to anchor, especially vs. double teams (does not sit well). He can generate a strong hand punch, but his placement and usage are lacking. He needs to get more active with those hands in order to be able to stack and control. GRADE: 5.7

Use of Hands: Scott uses his hands well off the snap and has a good swim move. His problems arise when he does not use his hands effectively to defeat low blocks, as blockers know they can easily bring him down by attacking his feet. He has adequate ability to separate and disengage vs. single blocks, but does not keep his arms active enough when taking on double teams, lacking a counter move. GRADE: 5.4

Lateral Pursuit/Effort: Scott's agility tests don't tell the real story. He ran his shuttle well, yet on the field, he looked very robotic moving in space. He can flash a good twist or spin move, but will give up and take plays off when his lack of stamina comes into the picture. These problems will likely relegate him to one-gap duties. He has marginal change-of-direction agility, looking clumsy as he narrows his base on the move (fails to keep his feet). He shows intent and effort in pursuit, but is best when he is around the ball in the short area. His stamina problems become evident when his feet fail him and he has to pull up in long pursuit. The effort is there, but the production is lacking. GRADE: 5.2

Tackling Ability: Scott has the strength to deliver crunching tackles, but his effort is inconsistent. He is strong enough to lock up the runner and can generate good pop as a tackler, but he tends to narrow his base often coming off the snap, which lets blockers wash him out as he loses leverage. When plays are directed at him, he is adequate to hit and wrap, doing a decent job of stopping the rusher on contact. On the move, he will overextend and grab, which prevents him from getting proper knee bend or using his hands effectively to get leverage. GRADE: 5.6

Run Defense: When he stays low in his pads and gets a wide base, he flashes power and the ability to get to the ball. He seems to be more combative with his hands when working around the pile, using rip moves to jerk the blocker out of the way to hit the runner with impact. When he hunkers down, he generates the strength needed to gain leverage. When his motor is running, he can be tough to handle when closing, as he has the ability to jump around blocks. GRADE: 6.4

Pass Rush: Despite good timed speed, he's lacking suddenness and short-area burst. He has to beat the blocker with his initial move or is washed out of the action. He has a good spin move, but when he gets too high, he reverts to a lot of thrashing around and fails to stay in the rush lane. He can push the pocket, but has the moves to get off and finish. His quick swim move allows him to get gap penetration, but he often plays too tall, preventing him from generating much of a bull rush. GRADE: 5.4

Closing on the QB: Scott needs to improve his stamina. He has the timed speed to get to the pocket, but often gives up on the rush when his first move fails. He should get more garbage sacks, but is a non-factor late in games due to poor stamina. He can make plays behind the line of scrimmage due to a decent explosive burst, but when he has to run the loop or pursue long, he loses site of the quarterback, and doesn't have the acceleration to close. When he comes off the line, he shows effort, but he has marginal body control in pursuit. GRADE: 5.3

Instincts/Recognition: Scott has marginal recognition skills when it comes to blocking schemes. He's washed out of the play too often because he is late to locate moving blockers. He doesn't really look combative fighting off double teams, despite having the foot speed to avoid when on the move. He is much slower to react on outside running plays, possibly because he knows he doesn't have the feet or balance to pursue. In the box, he is good at locating the ball and will get his hands up and show awareness on passing plays, but lacks consistency and timing to deflect too many low throws. GRADE: 5.2

Compares To: WILLIAM JOSEPH, Oakland -- Scott lacks Joseph's tall frame, but both are classic underachievers who might entice some scouts with athletic ability. When he puts the pads on, it's a different story. You might expect his strength to allow him to hold his ground at the point but he stops his feet and can be ridden out. In pursuit, he will generally overextend and lose balance, as he keeps his base too narrow. He gets a good push and shows a decent swim move to gain initial gap penetration, but he is more of a finesse type than power-oriented pass rusher, leading to minimal production in attempts to get to the quarterback. He lacks technique and stamina, but he has athletic talent to be worth a look at the tail end of the draft, and not in the early rounds as some experts target him. If all else fails, a team could try him at offensive guard to take advantage of his strength and athletic skills.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.50

--Report by Dave-Te Thomas

Scott started his final 38 games, appearing in 50 contests while participating in a total of 1,501 plays … Recorded 161 tackles (103 solo) with nine sacks for minus 40 yards, 18.5 stops for losses of 57 yards and 36 quarterback pressures … Had one interception, two pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Scott started 12 times at nose guard, missing most of the Florida State contest and the entire Duke clash with a knee sprain … Participated in 436 snaps, recording 39 tackles (29 solos) with 10 quarterback pressures … Posted a 6-yard sack and 7.5 stops for losses of 18 yards … Deflected one pass and recovered a fumble.

Alabama … Scott opened the season with five tackles (4 solos) on 47 plays, forcing the Tide to settle for a 54-yard field goal after stopping Glen Coffee on a third-&-15 reception that netted 9 yards on the game's opening drive … Head to Head Competition-OC#59-Antoine Caldwell (6:03-305).

North Carolina State … Credited with two pressures and four tackles (3 solos) on 30 plays … Took down tailback Andre Brown for a 2-yard loss on a carry near midfield early in the first quarter …

Head to Head Competition-OC#58-Ted Larson (6:02-299).

South Carolina State … Had his best game of the season, delivering five tackles (4 solos) that included his only sack for 2008 and 2.5 stops for minus 12 yards … Leveled William Ford for a 2-yard loss on a rushing attempt and for minus 5 yards on a third-&-8 catch to force an SC State punt early in the first quarter … Head to Head Competition-OC#55-Raymond Harrison (6:02-278).

Maryland … Had just one solo tackle, but one of his two pressures came on a third-&-2 incomplete pass by Chris Turner, bringing out the Maryland punting unit in the first quarter … Head to Head Competition-OC#60-Edwin Williams (6:03-315).

Wake Forest … Held to three tackles, but also took down tailback Josh Adams behind the line of scrimmage with 3:37 left in the game … Head to Head Competition-OC#67-Trey Bailey (6:02-290).

Georgia Tech … After a "dressing down" by his position coach earlier in the week, Scott responded with eight tackles (6 solos), a stop for a loss and two pressures … He tackled QB Josh Nesbitt on a third-&-4 bootleg for a 1-yard loss, forcing Tech to punt in the second quarter and later caused a fumble when he stripped the ball from tailback Jon Dwyer, as Clemson recovered the ball to set up a Tigers touchdown drive in the third stanza … Head to Head Competition-OC#77-Dan Voss (6:04-294).

Florida State … Scott suffered a knee injury in the second period and did not play in the second half.

Duke … Did not play due to a knee injury that he suffered vs. Florida State.

South Carolina … Delivered five tackles (2 solos), including one that stopped Mike Davis for a 1-yard loss on a second quarter rushing attempt … Head to Head Competition-OC#70-Garrett Anderson (6:04-311).

Nebraska (Gator Bowl) … Closed out his career with three solo tackles, leveling tailback Quentin Castille for a 1-yard loss on a run with 4:46 left in the first half … Head to Head Competition-OC#67-Jacob Hickman (6:04-292).

Started all 13 games at nose guard, collecting 50 tackles (32 solos) with three sacks for minus-8 yards and five stops for losses of 10 yards on 453 snaps … Credited with eight quarterback pressures … Also had one interception … Named Defensive Player of the Game vs. Louisiana-Monroe and Wake Forest.

2007 SEASON

Produced a season-high eight tackles (6 solos) and a sack vs. Louisiana-Monroe … Made six hits (3 solos) with a pressure vs. North Carolina State … Added five hits (4 solos), as he took down tailback Branden Ore behind the line of scrimmage vs. Virginia Tech … Was in on five tackles vs. Duke and made six more tackles (4 solos), as he pressured QB Riley Skinner three times and sacked him once vs. Wake Forest … Had four tackles at South Carolina, including combining with Antonio Clay to stop Cory Boyd on South Carolina's last offensive play on third-and-four; Clemson got the ball back with 2:09 left and drove for the winning field goal thanks to that stop; he added an interception at a key moment in that game … Missed most of the Chick-fil-A Bowl vs. Auburn when a chop block resulted in a right knee sprain.

Took over nose guard duties, registering a career-high 54 tackles (32 solos) with four stops for losses of 24 yards, including three sacks for minus-21 yards … Also made eight quarterback pressures while seeing action on 430 plays … Named Defensive Player of the Game vs. North Carolina.

Scott opened the season with five tackles (4 solos) and a stop for a 3-yard loss vs. Florida Atlantic … Added four tackles in each of the Boston College, Wake Forest, Temple, North Carolina State and South Carolina games … Posted two stops, including a sack for an 8-yard loss vs. North Carolina … Recorded seven hits vs. Virginia Tech and closed out the year with nine tackles (4 solos), a pressure and a 12-yard sack of QB Andre' Woodson vs. Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

Played in nine games as a reserve nose guard, listed third on the depth chart behind Cory Groover and Rashaad Jackson … Did not play in the team's first three contests after briefly leaving the team during the off-season due to personal issues … Managed ten quarterback pressures on only 182 plays, as he also produced 18 tackles (8 solos) with two sacks for minus-5 yards, a pass deflection and two fumble recoveries.

Redshirted as a freshman.

2007: Limited in August camp (8/16) with a high ankle sprain … Left the Chick-fil-A Bowl after he suffered a right knee sprain from a chop block vs. Auburn (12/31).

2008: Missed most of the Florida State (11/08) game and the entire Duke contest (11/15) with a knee sprain suffered vs. the Seminoles

Combine: 4.92 in the 40-yard dash … 1.66 10-yard dash … 2.82 20-yard dash … 4.84 20-yard shuttle … 8.28 three-cone drill … 30.5-inch vertical jump … 8'11" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times … Bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times … 32 1/4-inch arms … 9 7/8-inch hands.

Attended Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Kirk Burnett … Rated the 30th-best defensive tackle in the nation by CollegeFootballNews.com and 32nd by Super Prep … The three-year starter was also named first-team All-State by the Associated Press and an All-Atlantic Region pick by Prep Star … The Super Southern 100 team pick by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he added All-Mid Atlantic honors from Super Prep and was a two-time All-Area and All-Conference choice … Recorded had 242 career tackles, 31 stops for loss, seven sacks, 35 quarterback pressures, four caused fumbles, six recovered fumbles, and one defensive touchdown … Named team defensive MVP three times … Posted 101 tackles and 12 stops for loss on defense and graded 89% for blocking consistency as an offensive lineman in his final campaign … As a junior, he posted 70 tackles with three forced fumbles and five stops behind the line of scrimmage, making 71 stops, including thirteen for loss during his sophomore season.

Sociology major … Born 3/15/86 … Resides in Columbia, South Carolina.