Now that Austin Scott's legal troubles are behind him, the former Penn State running back can focus solely on another uphill battle: his quest to play in the NFL.

But, former Dallas Cowboys general manager and current NFL Draft analyst Gil Brandt said that hill is a little steep -- he estimated Scott has just a "10 percent chance" to become a starter at the professional level.

If an NFL organization wants to take a chance on Scott, who last played football on Sept. 29, 2007, it would have to rely on his high school numbers to gauge his potential.

"He's got good size and speed for his position, but for his limited playing time he's been inconsistent," Brandt said in a telephone interview. "Based on what he did in high school, someone might bring him as a free agent."

Scott was one of the most sought after recruits out of Pennsylvania in 2002, but his career at Penn State was seen as a disappointment by many. Before he was dismissed from the team, Scott carried the ball only 190 times for 887 yards in his career. He scored 11 touchdowns.

Rob Melosky, who coached Scott at Parkland High School and spoke with him on Saturday, agreed that while Scott has been keeping in shape, it will be difficult to adjust to the NFL without recent playing time.

"I don't think anyone can prepare without actual game experience so that's going to be something he'll have to take some time to get back in the groove." Melosky said.

Brandt related Scott's situation to maligned former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett, who was suspended from the Buckeyes following an academic scandal in 2002 and was then dismissed from the team for filing a false police report in 2003. Clarett was drafted into the NFL in 2005 by the Denver Broncos who used a third-round pick on him.

It had been two years since Clarett last played in a football game and was quickly cut by the Broncos when he performed poorly in training camp.

"I think that it's a lot like a student that ceases going to school for two or three years," Brandt said. "It's hard to get your study habits back. It's hard to understand how fast and how hard you have to work to keep up with the speed of the game.

"That's the big thing about [Maurice] Clarett, when he came to the combine, he couldn't even run a 40. He had to stop and take breaks between. If you're not motivated to work out -- there's not that carrot out there -- you lose that quick twitch that you need."

The most likely situation for Scott to make a pro roster is after the draft. Brandt said a team typically invites about 13 free agents to work out and see if they're worth signing.

He also said that there is a possibility that an unheralded college running back like Scott could make an NFL team and players like that have had success in the recent past.

Pittsburgh Steeler Willie Parker was a third-teamer in college while the Green Bay Packers' Ryan Grant was undrafted out of Notre Dame.

"I would say for every Parker and every Grant there's about 90 that try and you never hear from them again," Brandt said. "The odds are against you. So if you went on that now, the guy has a 10 percent chance."

Joe Paterno said he talked to Scott last week. Even though the charges were dropped, Paterno said he didn't regret suspending Scott because he was still out early in the morning during the season.

Paterno said he offered his help to Scott over the phone.

"I told him, 'As soon as you get through this thing, I want you to come out and we'll talk a little bit about your future,' " Paterno said. "Because he can graduate in May and I think he will graduate in May. I told him maybe if I can help him get a better opportunity with a pro team after this thing's over with then I'd do that."