Zavier Scott rolled into the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs, Connecticut on Wednesday where he will begin his college football career as wide receiver/running back hybrid player for the Huskies on full scholarship.
While Scott’s arrival to Storrs as a late edition to the 2017 class is not an anomaly to the college football world, it’s a rather surreal reality for Zavier, a European high school graduate, who 5 months ago had zero scholarship offers, and little to no interest from college programs.
— Scotty 2 Hotty (@Zavier_19) August 7, 2016
In February, the Scotts (Zavier and his parents Nate and Zetra) started believing that walking on was their only option, but before they pulled the trigger Brandon Collier (Premier Players International, CEO) convinced the family otherwise. Collier knew that Zavier was a Division 1 talent.
“Zavier is a freak: 6’1”, 202 pounds, 4.3 speed, 32 ½ inch arms, 37 inch vertical – he’s the type of player I would create in Madden. Not only does he have the physical intangibles, but I saw that he had competitive greatness — he performed best when it mattered the most. The reason he didn’t have any offers is because nobody knew who he was. He just needed exposure to college programs that we are connected with, and then it was up to him to perform to seal the deal.”
Collier eventually persuaded the Scotts to trust PPI’s vision, which meant heading to the US in June for PPI’s Dreamchaser Tour.
Zavier caught up with the tour at Ohio State after his dominant performance in the DODEA Euro Track Championships where he was the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m champion. Scott immediately put his track training to good use, running a blazing 4.38 40, and dominated one-on-one drills against players with Ohio State and Alabama offers.
That day everything changed for Zavier – he received his first scholarship offer from Ohio University, he became the poster boy of Ohio State’s recruiting website, and the Buckeyes coaching staff began to take interest. Scott joined Julius “Juice” Welschof as another prospect garnering the attention of top Power 5 programs
All glory to God! I’m blessed to receive my first scholarship from Ohio University!🙏🏽 Hard work pays off! pic.twitter.com/BObEfzdZBB
— Scotty 2 Hotty (@Zavier_19) June 13, 2017
When the trip concluded, Zavier had “sealed the deal” with a number of Division 1 programs. He had a Power 5 offer in Syracuse, a number of other Division 1 offers, and prestigious Power 5 programs like Ohio State and Michigan were urging him to enroll in Prep School, so they could further evaluate him for a scholarship.
Five months ago he had nothing to choose from, now Zavier had “rich man problems” – a number of options, all of which are promising. He could either enroll in the Fall of 2017, or wait until Spring of 2018.
UConn knew that it was only a matter of time before Zavier was swooped up by a powerhouse; so staying true to their Husky moniker, they pounced at an opportunity. One week after seeing Zavier in camp, Zavier and his parents were boarding a plane in Germany en route to Storrs, Connecticut for an official visit. By the end of that visit, UConn was convinced that Zavier was a great fit, and they wanted him now, for 2017. Since camp was only a few weeks away, the Scott’s would need to decide quickly if UConn was the best suitor for the next 3-5 years.
After reviewing all of their options, the Scotts felt like UConn was home.
“I chose UConn because of how comfortable I felt there. I love how the coaches are all on the same page and have the same goal. They have a really good system and structure with their team. The players seem like they are going to be a perfect fit for me too.“
Even with powerhouse programs communicating daily with Zavier, the Scotts felt that waiting to enroll in a school in 2018 “would be a wasted year academically for me.”
As Zavier looks back at the whirlwind of a year, he said,
“The whole process is a huge weight off of me and my family’s shoulders. I’m really blessed and grateful that PPI helped to get my name known by coaches, and they gave me the opportunity to go to schools and see different campuses.”
Collier:
“I’m ecstatic for the kid. To think 5 months ago Zavier and his family were so close to walking-on, to now, WOW, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Stories like this are why we do what we do here at PPI.”
To all of the other aspiring athletes in Europe, Scott left them with this advice:
“I like to think that no matter where you are, if you have the right work ethic, and perseverance, you can make it where you want. Speak it into existence! Let God guide you!”