Xavier Scott: 'I'm my harshest critic'
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 17—CHAMPAIGN — Xavier Scott found himself only an observer and never a participant this spring.
It wasn't unique for the veteran Illinois defensive back. Scott missed this year's spring practices as his rehab and recovery continued after the season-ending ankle/foot injury that cost him all but three games during the 2025 season.
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A similar set of circumstances sidelined Scott in the spring of 2024 after suffering a torn meniscus and partially torn ACL in the 2023 regular season finale against Northwestern.
Taking mental reps instead of physical reps during the spring hasn't been an issue for the 5-foot-11, 195-pound defensive back.
Adding in the additional wrinkle of learning a new defense this spring wasn't insurmountable, either.
That doesn't mean Scott has immediately reverted to his best self in the Illinois secondary early in the season. Glaring mistakes haven't been made, but Scott's level of impact in this new-look Illini defense has been limited to six tackles and a single pass breakup in the first two games of the season.
"That first game or two, it's about getting back in the groove of playing football," Scott said. "It's been a long time. It's just feeling comfortable with yourself and understanding that you're fine.
"Sometimes, when you come off an injury, you feel like you're not fine, but I understand I'm fine. I'm hard-minded. I love this game of football, so I'd do anything to get back out on the field. I'm very comfortable with where I'm at right now."
Defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck's evaluation of the Illinois secondary included the phrase "learning curve." Hauck singled out fifth-year safety Matthew Bailey and senior cornerback Juice Clarke for their level of play against UAB and Duke.
But that was it.
"The requirements of the Duke game for those guys was so different than the UAB game," Hauck said. "The offenses were so different. They lean on different fundamentals. The UAB game there was a lot more all by myself, man-to-man coverage. The Duke game was a lot of, 'I'm in the box. I'm the next linebacker' because there's no wideouts out there.
"We've got to be able to play both ends of the equation — both run and pass. Those guys are coming along and learning it."
The experience in the secondary could shorten that learning curve. Scott is in his fifth season just like Bailey. Clarke and free safety Mac Resetich are in year four. The only variable is at cornerback opposite Clarke where Tywan Cox, Jakwon Morris and Tanner Heckel have all gotten snaps.
Scott and Co. simply have to keep putting in the work to better understand the new Illini scheme and how each player fits.
"Those are guys who are veterans and good players, they can hold themselves accountable as much as anybody," Illinois defensive backs coach Corey Parker said. "They can critique themselves as much as anybody. When you see guys able to come back in after a loss and watch the tape and figure out detail-wise what they could have done better, that gives you encouragement to take the next step at Sunday's workouts, at Sunday's meetings and in Sunday's opportunities to communicate with them."
Parker's challenge for Scott through two games has been to play at the level he's capable of playing. Finish strong downfield. Communicate. Give maximum effort every snap.
It's no different than the challenge Parker said he's given all of his defensive backs, but it's no less important for one of his most experienced playmakers in the secondary.
Scott earned All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2024 and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. The expectation was a similar 2025 season would send him off to the NFL. Then he injured his right foot/ankle in the fourth quarter of a 38-0 blowout win against Western Michigan just three weeks into the season.
Representatives from the Thorpe Award were on hand this past weekend in Champaign. Scott is still on their radar (along with Bailey), and while they didn't get the Riviera Beach, Fla., native's best, it was still a Week 2 improvement as Scott works back to feeling like his old self on the football field.
"Just getting back to where I used to be," said Scott, whose career-best year saw him total 49 tackles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, two tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble in 2024.
"You just think you're just going to go back out there and everything is going to be fine, but sometimes, it takes a little bit longer than you expect," the veteran defensive back continued. "That's just life in football. That's the life of the game. I'm going to keep moving forward and keep my head down."
Scott leaned on his family during his return from injury. The physical part was taken care of at the Smith Center between director of strength and conditioning Tank Wright and the Illini's athletic training staff. Scott's family helped him hone in on who he was as a person and who he was before his injury.
"It's more of a belief thing," he said. "I feel like I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do through the scheme and helping my teammates, but there are more things I definitely want to help and more things I want to do better."
Scott has managed to compartmentalize the hype surrounding his return and the expectations he faces. He's certainly aware of both but tries not to take either onto the field with him.
"We play a hard position as is," Scott said. "You just know you've got to be there and you know you've got to make that play, but sometimes, it just doesn't happen. You've got to find ways to overcome that and move on to the next play. I'm my harshest critic. ... I know what I can do. I just let the plays come to me. I don't try to do too much or do somebody else's job."