Five things to know about Aaron Scott Jr., the Ducks' newest CB
Despite losing multiple contributors on the defensive side of the ball, head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have also begun to recoup talented players via the transfer portal.
On Saturday morning, former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. was one of them, as he announced his commitment to Oregon after two seasons in Columbus. Scott joins a talented group of cornerbacks that finished fourth in the nation in pass defense in 2025.
And though Scott didn't gain a ton of experience on the playing field for the Buckeyes, he comes to Eugene with the skills to become a top cover man in the Big Ten if he continues to improve and see time on the field. Like other players, he'll have to compete for those opportunities — but make no mistake, the addition of Scott is huge for the Ducks' cornerback room in terms of adding depth if he doesn't end up as a starter.
Here's five things to know about the newest Ducks cornerback.
Highly-Rated RecruitComing out of the 2024 recruiting class, Scott was a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 5 cornerback in his class, per 247 Sports, representing the talent that he showed during his high school career in Springfield, OH.
Scott was slotted right above Oregon cornerback Ify Obidegwu (No. 6) and former Duck Dakoda Field (No. 11) and behind three Alabama commit and a Georgia commit. To put it simply, four strong programs accounted for in the top six with the Ducks now having two of those cornerbacks on their roster.
Two Years With the BuckeyesScott played two seasons in Columbus and never could find a consistant role in the secondary. He totaled just 11 tackles and one pass breakup during that time. But due to his high ranking, the talent is there — the Buckeyes just had a number of NFL-caliber players above him, the main reason he couldn't crack the rotation as much as he would've liked.
He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining for the Ducks.
Hasn't Played Against the DucksDespite the two seasons that he did spend at Ohio State, Scott didn't play in either game against Oregon.
The two programs competed twice during the 2024 season, with the Ducks coming away with a thrilling victory at home during the regular season while the Buckeyes blew them out in the Rose Bowl, ending their season. Scott didn't play in either game.
Luckily for him, Oregon will travel to Ohio State in 2026 in Big Ten play, giving him the coveted chance to compete against his old program.
Versatile DefenderDuring Scott's time on the field with the Buckeyes, he was used in a couple different ways.
His frame (6-foot, 195 pounds) suggests that outside cornerback will be his speciality, as he played at that spot for 82 snaps in 2025, but he was also shifted inside the box for 11 snaps and in the slot for nine snaps, showing off his athleticism and versatility.
Versatility was a valued characteristic for former Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and likely will be once again with the in-house hire of Chris Hampton as the new DC.
Contention for Play TimeSimilar to at Ohio State, there's immense talent in the cornerback room at Oregon and it won't be a gimme that he plays right away.
During spring practices and fall camp, he'll have to compete with the likes of Obidegwu, Na'eem Offord, Dorian Brew and incoming freshman Davon Benjamin for the starting nod opposite Brandon Finney Jr. Finney has that spot locked up after a freshman All-American campaign, but the other side of the field is up for grabs with Scott now certainly in the mix.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Five things to know about the Oregon Ducks' newest CB Aaron Scott Jr.
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