Two former Southern Nevada high school football players were selected on the final day of the 2026 NFL draft Saturday in Pittsburgh.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Miami cornerback Keionte Scott in the fourth round (116th overall). Scott played at Liberty his sophomore year and his junior year at Democracy Prep before finishing his high school career in San Diego.
“I pride myself on being a defensive back and I have this chip building up on my shoulder that was already there and it’s much bigger,” Scott told reporters in a virtual news conference. “Wherever it’s going to be for the team, whatever I can do for the city of Tampa Bay and get that place rocking, it’s something I’m willing to do.”
Former Las Vegas High offensive lineman Fernando Carmona (Arkansas) was picked 142nd overall in the fifth round by the Tennessee Titans.
“Being the facility (on a pre-draft visit), and all the people in the building are incredible,” Carmona told reporters in a virtual news conference. “I really enjoyed my time there and all the energy. There’s a lot of good players on this team and I’m excited to go to work with them.”
Scott, listed at 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, started his college career at Snow College (Utah) where he spent two years (2020-21). He transfer to Auburn and played three seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Miami for the 2025 season.
Scott was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2025 where he helped Miami reach the College Football Playoff national championship game. He was also named the Cotton Bowl defensive MVP in the Hurricanes’ 24-14 win over Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals.
“I’m learning lessons and different things, but ultimately, I feel like I’ve handled adversity well,” Scott said. “Even situations I’m in now, it’s time to answer that call again. I feel like I’m super confident in my ability to handle adverse situations.”
Carmona, a guard listed at 6-foot-4 and 316 pounds, is a 2021 graduate from Las Vegas. He played tennis and basketball at Las Vegas before joining the football team in 2019 where he played tight end.
“There’s not many tennis players that were 6-foot-4, I was about 260 (pounds),” Carmona said. “I wasn’t the greatest.”
After Carmona lost his senior year due to COVID, he committed to San Jose State, where he redshirted in 2021 and started every game the next two seasons for the Spartans.
He transferred to Arkansas and was a third-team All-SEC selection in 2024 and was second-team All-SEC in 2025.
“You gain respect for those tight ends that go out there and block,” said Carmona, when asked about how his time at tight end at Las Vegas shaped his approach as an offensive lineman.
”You have to learn both the offensive line side and the wide receiver side. Having that perspective in high school and shifting over to the offensive line, you gain a lot of respect for those guys.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
