Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott had the play of the first half of the Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes, intercepting Julian Sayin's checkdown read in the backfield and taking it back to the house to take a 14-0 lead.
Of course, this is Scott's first season at the Power 4 level playing for a program other than the Auburn Tigers. It couldn't be going better for the San Diego native, who emerged to become the Canes' defensive leader in 2025.
Scott is certainly not the first player to leave the Plains and thrive. Unfortunately, this offseason and next year figure to feature several outbound players in the transfer portal who will evoke these same feelings in important future matchups.
Omg what a play ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ why Keyonte wasn’t doing all this at Auburn 😒
— Chandler Wooten (@ItsMeWootang) January 1, 2026
Cam Coleman will almost certainly play for a CFP contender
Early intel is linking Coleman to practically every team under the sun. The Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma Sooners, and USC Trojans are among the schools reportedly interested in Coleman. Of course, the line is longer than that, it's just that not everyone has No. 1 receiver-in-the-portal funds lying around.
Coleman never had a serviceable quarterback on the Plains, with Payton Thorne being the closest thing. His QB options in 2026 include Heisman candidates like Sayin and Arch Manning.
Coleman's touchdown highlights may be the most painful external aspect of the 2026 season for Auburn fans.
Deuce Knight's entire future could be weighed against Byrum Brown's 2026
Deuce Knight's exit is a stranger one to process for the Tigers than Coleman. We know what Coleman was. We won't know about Knight until he's been given a true chance elsewhere that he never got in East Central Alabama.
Whatever comes next, Knight's entire career, whether it's at his next home or a professional career after that, will be weighed against Auburn's next starting quarterback. Many signs point to that being USF Bulls QB1 Byrum Brown, who announced his intentions to transfer last week.
Brown will have the weight of the entire Loveliest Village on his shoulders should he decide to follow Alex Golesh to AU.