Lucas Scott was a jack-of-all-trades at Army. Changing positions three times as a Black Knight, he always adapted his skillset to suit the needs of his team.
Scott's new team just happens to have a fullback-friendly offense.
At West Point, Scott played defensive line as a freshman, tight end as a sophomore, right guard as a junior, and right tackle as a senior. Now, the undrafted rookie is trying his hand at fullback in a bid to make the Ravens' 53-man roster or practice squad.
A former fullback in high school, Scott hasn't just embraced the position change. He's welcomed it.
"It's fun getting back to the roots," Scott said.
Army recruited Scott to play defensive line. After transitioning to tight end the next year, Scott became a mainstay on the offensive line. In his final season in 2024, Scott was tabbed to the Football Writers of America Association All-America Second Team. It was the first time since 1990 that an Army player earned that recognition.
Going into the pre-draft process, Scott thought most teams were viewing him as a center. But he told the Ravens at the Hula Bowl in January that he loved watching All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard and said he wouldn't mind following in his footsteps.
"It's kind of always been my dream position," Scott told the Ravens.
Then, the day before Scott's pro day, the Ravens made a unique request to Army Head Coach Jeff Monken, Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken's cousin.
"I didn't think they really took me seriously, and the day before the pro day, they were actually like, 'Hey, yeah, can we have him run some routes? We want to watch it on film.' I'm like, 'Oh, hell yeah. Let's do it,'" Scott said.
Scott didn't hear his name called in April, but the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder is doing everything he can to make his mark in the league.
Watching Ricard every day certainly helps that mission. He said Ricard is an All-Pro for a reason and is always in a "pothole position" on his blocks.
"He's always in the right spot to make powerful contact at the right time, so I think trying to get that part of my game a lot better, that's a little different than being on the offensive line, is something that I'm really trying to do," Scott said.
Army's scheme gave Scott the tools to make the switch. The Black Knights have traditionally run a triple-option offense and don't typically have big, burly offensive linemen. Instead, the linemen can move in space and make blocks downfield, just like a fullback.
With Ricard not playing in the preseason, Scott has received valuable game reps. His blocking was instrumental in Keaton Mitchell's standout performance against the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason opener. On Mitchell's 23-yard scamper, Scott barreled into a Colts defender to plug a gap and allow Mitchell to cut outside for the first down. Two plays later, Scott opened up a crease on Mitchell's 22-yard touchdown.
He followed that up with another strong performance against the Cowboys. On one play, Scott lined up next to tight end Charlie Kolar and sealed the edge, paving the way for a 16-yard run by D'Ernest Johnson to pick up a first down.
"The running backs we have make me look really, really good," Scott said.
Todd Monken has liked what he's seen out of the Binghamton, New York, native.
"[Lucas Scott]'s been great," he said. "My cousin raved about him [and] how he's wired. That's really what Jeff said about him is [that] he's wired the right way. He's going to do exactly what you want. He's physical, and I think he's starting to pick up being in the backfield."
Whenever his playing days are over, Scott will still be required to complete five years of service in the Army. For now, he's locked in on finishing the preseason strong and chasing his dream.
It would be very tough for him to crack the 53-man roster with Ricard in front of him. But could Scott be part of the Ravens' future plans?
"I'm just trying to make big plays and get better every day," Scott said.
