2026 EAST COUNTY ALUMNI
By East County Sports staff
LA MESA — The path wasn’t clean. It wasn’t direct. And for a long time, it wasn’t even certain.
But for former Helix Highlander Keionte Scott, it ended where only a select few East County players ever arrive — the NFL Draft stage.
Scott was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, adding another name to Helix’s growing pipeline of professional talent and continuing one of the most consistent football legacies in San Diego County.
And fittingly, when the moment came, Scott was back home.
“I worked really hard… a lot of ups and downs,” Scott said during his introductory press conference. “To finally get that call, man… I don’t think I could have grabbed the phone any faster.”
A HELIX FOUNDATION
Before the SEC starts, before the ACC spotlight, before the College Football Playoff — there was Helix.
Scott arrived in La Mesa from Las Vegas, where he played at Democracy Prep, still raw and largely unproven. At Helix, he became something else entirely — a two-way playmaker and one of the more dynamic athletes in the section.
He excelled on both sides of the ball, starring at defensive back while also producing as a wide receiver, showing the versatility that would later define his college and pro projection.
More importantly, Helix became the place where his identity as a football player was formed.
That identity still shows up in how he describes himself today.
“I try to pride myself on being an old-school cat,” Scott said. “Flying around… not being afraid to stick my nose in anything.”
That mentality — physical, aggressive, instinctive — is a Helix trademark.
THE LONG WAY: JUCO TO POWER CONFERENCES
Scott’s journey didn’t follow the blueprint of Helix’s biggest stars.
Unlike a few Highlander pros who left as elite recruits, Scott had to take the harder road.
After Helix, he went the junior college route, landing at Snow College — one of the nation’s premier JUCO programs. There, he developed into a legitimate Division I prospect, earning All-American honors and building the physical and technical foundation that would carry him forward.
From there, his path continued to evolve: Auburn, then Miami — each stop adding layers to his game.
Scott doesn’t hide from that winding route. He embraces it.
“Ups and downs… everything that made me who I am today,” he said. “I feel like I’ve handled adversity well.”
That perspective — earned, not given — is what separates developmental players who make it from those who don’t.
COLLEGE BREAKTHROUGH AND NFL FIT
By the time he reached University of Miami, Scott had become a complete defensive back — physical in the run game, instinctive in coverage, and dangerous as a blitzer.
That versatility made him a natural fit for a Todd Bowles defense in Tampa Bay.
“This is a scheme I felt like I would fit,” Scott said. “The versatility of the defensive backs… I’m just super excited to get there and get to work.”
He backed it up with production, leading all NCAA cornerbacks in pressures last season — a rare stat that reflects both timing and fearlessness.
“I just take it as having my brothers’ backs,” Scott said of blitzing. “When I get that call to go, I take that with me.”
SCOTT JOINS MIAMI TEAMMATE WITH BUCS
Scott’s transition to the NFL will include a familiar face — former Miami teammate Ruben Bain Jr., already with Tampa Bay.
Their relationship reflects Scott’s competitive edge and team-first mentality.
“We’d be in the locker room like, ‘I want your tackles,’” Scott said with a smile. “Racing to the ball… it’s just fun being around somebody that plays the game like that.”
Now they’ll bring that same energy to Sundays.
When asked what Buccaneers fans are getting, Scott didn’t overthink it.
“A straight dog,” he said. “A player that doesn’t need anything but an opportunity.”
That opportunity now runs through Tampa Bay.
But for East County, the story starts — and always will — at Helix.
And for a player who took the long road, that foundation made all the difference.
A HELIX LEGACY CONTINUES
Scott’s draft selection reinforces what Helix has quietly built over decades — one of the most consistent pipelines in California, and now might actually be known for producing NFL defensive backs.
Defensive backs who have made it to the NFL — Chuck Cecil, Brandon Sanders, Jamar Taylor and Jalen Davis — show that the Highlanders have produced NFL-ready DBs across multiple eras.
Scott now joins that lineage — but his résumé may ultimately stand among the most unique.
Not just for making it, but for how he got there:
- Under-recruited out of high school
- Junior college All-American
- SEC contributor
- ACC standout
- College Football Playoff performer
- NFL Draft pick
That arc places him firmly in the conversation among the most accomplished college careers to come out of East County.
Scott’s selection reinforces what Helix has quietly built over decades — and nowhere is that more evident than in the secondary.
The Highlanders have produced a steady line of NFL defensive backs, including Taylor, a second-round draft pick who carved out a long professional career across multiple teams, and Davis, who has remained active in the league, currently with the Cincinnati Bengals.
That continuity at one position group is rare at the high school level — and it speaks to both development and culture inside the Helix program.
Cecil was the first Highlander defensive back to reach the NFL, and was one of the league’s hardest hitters during his career with the Green Bay Packers. He went on to coach at the University of Arizona and eventually in the NFL.
Sanders was with the New York Giants for three seasons before returning to coach at Arizona, where he currently is Coordinator of Football Alumni and High School relations for the Wildcats.
Scott fits directly into that lineage.
A physical, versatile defensive back with the ability to play in space, blitz, and support the run, he mirrors the traits that have defined Helix defensive backs at the next level.
Add in program icons like Reggie Bush and Alex Smith — elite talents at other positions — and Helix continues to stand as one of the premier pipelines in San Diego County.
