CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Miles Scott spoke to the media on Wednesday and was asked what has changed most for him since arriving on campus at the University of Illinois in 2021.

“I was young, a lot younger,” Scott said with a smile before an obvious answer suddenly occurred. “Oh, I’m a defensive back now.”

Scott came to Illinois as a wide receiver. He didn’t switch to defense immediately, either. It wasn’t until his third year with the program that Scott, a Dolton, Ill. native, switched sides of the ball.

Growth came quickly after he joined the defensive back room. Scott was a team captain in 2024 while racking up two interceptions, 55 tackles, six pass deflections and one forced fumble.

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Without question, Scott has gotten bigger, faster and stronger since he first joined the Illini. However, his continued answer about growth and change didn’t touch on size or skill much.

“Man, I just got a lot more knowledge of the game,” he told WCIA 3. “I feel like I can talk to a lot more of the younger guys and let them know like ‘Man, you should do this. You shouldn’t do that.’ I feel like I got a lot more wisdom and I just try to spread that with everybody.”

For the fifth-year senior, it’s as simple as paying it forward.

“When I was that age, Tony Adams I got to talk to a lot. Isaiah Williams, Keith Randolph, Brian Hightower, those are guys that I always talked to that helped me out when I was young.”