Justin Scott, Miami defensive lineman from Chicago, highlighted on college football 'Freaks List'

Scott, a St. Ignatius product, was a 5-star prospect in Class of 2024

St. Ignatius forward Justin Scott / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

College football writer Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List" has become an annual preseason tradition and this year's edition includes a pair of Illinois high school football products to watch this fall and beyond in Illinois running back Kaden Feagin and University of Miami defensive tackle Justin Scott.

Related: Kaden Feagin, Illinois running back, highlighted on college football 'Freaks List'

While Feagin showed flashes of his unique potential a year ago as a freshman at Illinois, Scott earned the recognition before he has played his first game with the Hurricanes.

The St. Ignatius College Prep product, No. 75 on Feldman's list, was a 5-star recruit lauded as the top prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2024, the No. 3 defensive line prospect and No. 10 prospect nationally in the class. Scott, who also played basketball at St. Ignatius, received 30 scholarship offers from coast to coast and picked Miami over Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, USC and many more.

In including Scott on his 'Freaks List,' Feldman cited the 6-foot-4, 298-pounder's explosiveness and his remarkable 10-yard split (for the 40-yard dash) of 1.56 seconds, a mark that only two defensive linemen beat at the 2023 NFL Draft Combine – edge rushers Chop Robinson and Dallas Turner.

"He's around 300 and he's super lean. Not only is he really gifted, he’s really smart," Miami head coach Mario Cristobal told Feldman. "He just gets it. He's an awesome kid. He's special. The sky is the limit."

Read the article from The Athletic: College football Freaks List 2024

The Chicago native, who was selected to the prestigious All-American Bowl, racked up 28 tackles (seven for losses) and two sacks as a high school senior a year ago and also saw time at running back, where he ran 17 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior he had 37 tackles, including five for losses.

Scott was the gem of Cristobal's 2024 recruiting class at Miami and right behind him was another Chicago area standout in Kenwood Academy edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot.

A 4-star prospect rated in the 247Sports Composite rankings as the No. 31 overall prospect in the Class of 2024, Lightfoot chose the Hurricanes from among more than three dozen scholarship offers, including Illinois, Ohio State, USC, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Oregon and many more.

That impressive Chicago duo may have taken their talents to Miami, but they will be two college football prospects to keep an eye on over the next few years.

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- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com