BYU football has talent at cornerback in 2025, but it’s inexperienced.
No one in BYU’s cornerback unit has consistently been a starter.
The man to figure out who will be those top cornerbacks is Jernaro Gilford.
Gilford enters his 10th season as BYU’s cornerbacks coach. This past winter, he was promoted to defensive passing game coordinator.
“For the most part, I’ll be doing the same thing as far as breaking down the pass game and giving Jay (Hill) any kind of suggestions he might want or need as far as the passing game goes,” Gilford said to KSL Sports in March on his new job title. “I’ll continue to oversee the corners and nickels and help Jay where needed.”
Note: As of this publication, no official settlement has been reached in the House v. NCAA case, so we’re not currently capping personnel at the potential 105-man roster limit.
Personnel Snapshot
BYU will look to replace its top two cornerbacks from last season, Jakob Robinson and Marque Collins. Those are significant losses, as both players earned professional opportunities and combined for five interceptions last year.
On a positive note, BYU retained nearly everyone else from last year’s cornerback unit. Part of that retention was Mory Bamba, who went through senior day festivities last November, receiving an extra year of eligibility due to a medical redshirt.
BYU Football Cornerbacks returning for the 2025 season
Mory Bamba (Redshirt-Senior)
Jayden Dunlap (RS-Senior)
Evan Johnson (RS-Junior)
Marcus McKenzie (RS-Sophomore)
Kevin Doe (RS-Sophomore)
Therrian “Tre” Alexander III (Sophomore)
Jonathan Kabeya (Sophomore)
Gone from the 2024 roster
Jakob Robinson (NFL UDFA, 49ers)
Marque Collins (CFL, Winnipeg Bombers)
Chika Ebunoha (Transfer Portal, Utah State)
Who steps up as the starting cornerbacks?
Replacing Jakob Robinson and Marque Collins is no easy task. Robinson was one of the best cornerbacks BYU has produced this century. Marque Collins was an instant plug-and-play guy after transferring in from Weber State.
Identifying the top performers at cornerback will be critical before the season kicks off.
During spring practices, Mory Bamba and Therrian “Tre” Alexander III were the top two corners.
Bamba has all the tools to be an NFL draft pick with his track and field background paired up with great measurables. He’s come a long way in his development.
Two years ago, Bamba earned his first career start against TCU and struggled, as did the rest of BYU’s defense that day in Fort Worth. However, he took a significant leap in his development last year.
Bamba was one of the top performers in fall camp last August before he suffered an injury late in camp that caused him to miss most of the season’s first month. His snaps quietly increased throughout the season. He had a strong showing against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl with two pass deflections and two tackles.
“I’m expecting huge things from him,” BYU Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Jernaro Gilford said about Bamba in March. “A guy who is prototypical, as far as the size, the speed, the body type, strength, and everything like that. So I look forward to him taking huge steps. He made some great plays last year. So I’m looking for him to continue along those lines and ‘take the throne,’ and try to become the man in my room.”
The other cornerback spot is up for debate. Alexander and redshirt junior Evan Johnson look to be two of the top contenders for that spot.
Johnson missed the entire spring due to an injury. That allowed Alexander all of the first-team reps in spring ball.
Alexander was a big get on the recruiting trail for BYU’s staff, going into Atlanta to land the three-star prospect, who had heavy interest from the hometown Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Big 12 foe West Virginia.
Meanwhile, Johnson, a former 10.4 100-meter athlete who didn’t play on the defensive side of the ball in high school, was one of the most improved players in the program last year with two interceptions.
Alexander plays with a lot of confidence on the field. During spring, he showed smooth skills at the cornerback spot and looks ready to contend for a bigger role in his sophomore season.
Buy stock in Jonathan Kabeya
During Jay Hill’s first year as BYU’s defensive coordinator in 2023, he landed a commitment from Weber State transfer Eddie Heckard.
Heckard was a plug-and-play nickel in Jay Hill’s scheme, having known it from his time with Hill in Ogden. He became a star in his one season at BYU, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition.
What made Heckard special was his playmaking ability. He was a hard-hitter, excellent at making tackles in the open field, and could generate takeaways.
Last year, Jakob Robinson was in that role.
Who is it in 2025?
The guy to watch is sophomore Jonathan Kabeya.
When BYU’s staff was recruiting Kabeya out of Euless, Texas, they showed him highlights of Heckard.
