Ohio State has had 13 kickoffs in the last two games, and Aaron Scott Jr. was the first Buckeye down the field on every one of them.
Ryan Day revealed Tuesday that Scott, a second-year cornerback, has been the first player to the 30-yard line on each of the Buckeyes’ last 13 kickoffs. On each of the Buckeyes’ last two kickoffs against Washington, Scott tackled Washington kickoff returner Adam Mohammed inside the 20-yard line.
Aaron Scott with a BIG HIT on special teams for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/ZgThOJQ5Su
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) September 27, 2025
Scott’s efforts in kickoff coverage, which earned him Ohio State’s special teams player of the week award (along with Jayden Fielding) against Washington, have made a big impression on Ohio State’s head coach.
“Aaron Scott's going to start playing more football around here,” Day said Tuesday.
Four games into his second year as a Buckeye, Scott hasn’t yet seen consistent playing time on defense. All of his snaps at cornerback – 74 last season, 36 so far this year – have come in late-game situations when the Buckeyes had a win comfortably in hand. Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. have played the vast majority of snaps at cornerback this season, while true freshman Devin Sanchez has been the first cornerback off the bench in dime packages.
But standing out on special teams is a time-honored path for young Buckeyes to earn more playing time at their primary positions, and Scott has bought into that message as he looks to earn his way onto the field more.
“Coach Day is big on special teams and just doing the right thing, I feel like that's how our culture is,” Scott said. “He feels like every play matters and I took that to the game and was like, ‘If I get a chance to make a play, I'm gonna make it.’ … I was like, whatever role they give me, I was gonna try to do it to the most of my capability.”
Although the Springfield, Ohio, product was a five-star recruit, Scott acknowledges that he wasn’t ready to play a big role in the Buckeyes’ secondary last season. As a freshman, it took Scott some time to get up to speed and learn the ins and outs of Ohio State’s defense, but he feels like he’s playing “way better” now.
“Last year with our defense, I was thinking slow … the playbook was way harder, and mentally, it was just harder, and I wasn't moving as fast as I wanted to,” Scott said. “This year, I feel like I'm playing full speed.”
Fellow second-year defensive back Jaylen McClain says he’s noticed a big difference in Scott this season.
“He has a different look in his eye,” McClain said. “He's been balling out.”
Scott says new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has played a big role in helping him become more comfortable in the defense.
“When we got a new DC, I feel like it started clicking more. I got to spend more time with him, and just getting more time with Coach Patricia, he's a real player-type guy, so whenever I needed help, I could just go in and talk to him,” Scott said. “I feel like he's made it way more easier for me.”
Scott is eager to be on the field more, but he’s trusting the process. There are plenty of examples of players currently starring on Ohio State’s defense who had to wait their turn to start, such as Mathews, a fellow top-50 in-state prospect who was a backup for the last two seasons before becoming a starting cornerback this year. Scott’s career could follow a similar path, as at least one starting cornerback job will open up after this season with Igbinosun in his final year of eligibility, and he says Mathews has encouraged him to stay the course.
“Last year, he was in the same position … he's been telling me to just keep going, and you might not be where you wanna be right now, but they're gonna see over time,” Scott said of Mathews. “And it's starting to show.”
The door appears open for Scott to start playing more on defense based on Day’s comments this week, though it’s unclear exactly what that expanded role would be. Ohio State hasn’t rotated Mathews or Igbinosun out of the lineup at all with the first-team defense this season, though it leaned heavily on Igbinosun and Denzel Burke at the start of last season, too, before working Mathews into the rotation more as the season progressed. Moving Mathews to nickel for some plays could also be a way to get Scott on the field.
Even if his playing time remains mostly on special teams for now, though, Scott plans to keep playing with the same intensity he’s brought to the kickoff unit. Scott prides himself on bringing energy every time he steps on the field, and he wants more moments that capture the crowd’s attention like his big plays in kickoff coverage in Seattle.
“Bring energy, get the crowd on their feet,” Scott said of what he tries to do when he’s in the game. “Just really put the crowd on their feet, and turn the Shoe up every chance I can.”
“Aaron Scott’s going to start playing more football around here.”– Ryan Day on Aaron Scott Jr.
Scott’s effort has had its desired effect on his teammates on both defense and special teams.
“Him flying down on kickoff, that sets the tone for the defense. And it gives us a lot of energy when he runs down there,” McClain said. “It sets us up real well on defense, and it gives us a lot of energy.”
“Aaron's been giving great effort the whole year, even on touchbacks,” said kicker Jayden Fielding. “Knowing that he's going to fly down there and make that play for me, it's really nice to have him out there for us.”
