How Oklahoma's Persistence Paid off in Safety Jaylen Scott's Recruitment

How Oklahoma's Persistence Paid off in Safety Jaylen Scott's Recruitment

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How Oklahoma's Persistence Paid off in Safety Jaylen Scott's Recruitment
Oklahoma Sooners, Jaylen Scott, Jamison Roberts, Jim Nagy
Oklahoma commits Jaylen Scott and Jamison Roberts pose for a picture with general manager Jim Nagy. | OU Athletics

Even when Jaylen Scott was committed to a different program, Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy saw him as a can't-miss prospect.

Scott, a 2027 safety from Mobile, AL, pledged to Auburn in June 2025. Still, Nagy paid Scott a visit shortly after and started forming a relationship with the defensive back recruit.

"I felt like it was home right then," Scott said in a clip from Mobile County Media Days, posted on X (formerly Twitter) by reporter Larry Rudolph.

That visit from Nagy wasn't a one-off.

Scott said that OU's coaches were some of the only ones who attended any of his games during his junior season at Williamson High School.

"That right there, that meant a lot to me," Scott said.

Fast forward to July 2026, and Scott is one of 27 players committed to OU from the Class of 2027.

Scott is a consensus 4-star recruit, and he is ranked as the No. 304 overall prospect from the class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He is listed at 6-0 and 170 pounds.

The defensive back has put up video-game numbers in each of his last two high school football seasons.

Most recently, he logged 104 tackles, 15 pass breakups, five interceptions, two tackles for loss and a scoop-and-score touchdown as a junior in 2025. His outstanding junior campaign followed his 2024 season in which he registered 107 tackles, 12 pass breakups, four interceptions, a pick-six, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Scott also collected offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Michigan and several other major programs. But Oklahoma's intentionality throughout the recruiting process pushed the Sooners over the edge.

Scott is one of two Alabamians committed to OU from the 2027 class, along with quarterback Jamison Roberts, who hails from Saraland, AL. The safety said that he and Roberts have played football together since they were 10 years old – and now they'll get to reunite in Norman.

"Us being able to play together in college, it's a cool thing," Scott said.

With just over four months until Early Signing Day in December, Scott is now trying to lure others from Alabama to Oklahoma.

The Sooners have already offered several players from Alabama from the 2028 cycle, including edge rusher Keoni Snipes and offensive linemen Joey Fleming and Samuel Bailey.

Scott quickly fell in love with Oklahoma's program. And the 2027 prospect believes that others from his home state would feel similarly about it.

"I wanted to be a 'Bama Sooner,'" Scott said. "We're all trying to start that tradition up."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as How Oklahoma's Persistence Paid off in Safety Jaylen Scott's Recruitment.

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