Former University of Maine wide receiver-running back Zavier Scott is expected to make his National Football League debut on Sunday night when his Minnesota Vikings entertain the Atlanta Falcons.
Scott, who had been on the Vikings’ practice squad last season, earned a spot on Minnesota’s 53-man roster through his impressive performance in three preseason games.
But Scott sustained an ankle injury in the last preseason game against the Tennessee Titans and was sidelined for the Vikings’ season-opening 27-24 win over the Bears in Chicago on Monday night.
Scott returned to practice this week.
He had been competing with fourth-year running back Ty Chandler for the third running back position behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. But Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell decided to keep both Chandler and Scott on the 53-man roster.
Chandler suffered a knee injury in the Bears game and has been placed on the injured reserve list, which means he will miss at least four games.
In preseason games against the Houston Texans, New England Patriots and Titans, Scott carried the ball 22 times for 96 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He also caught five passes for 61 yards and returned a kickoff for 20 yards.
Of his 96 rushing yards, 81 came after contact.
The 26-year-old Scott, an undrafted free agent, signed a one-year contract for $840,000 with the Vikings in the offseason.
He had spent a year on the Indianapolis’ Colts’ practice squad in 2023 before coming to the Vikings’s practice squad last season.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Scott transferred to UMaine after spending two years at the University of Connecticut. He was a third team All-Coastal Athletic Association selection in his final season at UMaine.
He led the Black Bears in receptions with 42 for 434 yards and he was also the team’s second-leading rusher with 371 yards on 39 carries. His 9.5 yards per carry led the CAA.
In the fall of 2021, he had 119 rushing yards on 35 carries at UMaine and also had 11 catches for 114 yards. He played in two of the four spring games that year and caught six passes for 102 yards.
During his two seasons at UConn, he caught 33 passes for 228 yards and carried the ball 34 times for 210 yards.
The Vikings play the Falcons at 8:20 p.m. Sunday.