In the lead-up to the fall football practice session we’ll be previewing 15 such players whose contribution and progress throughout August will very likely play big in determining how successful of a team BYU proves to be in 2026.

Jayven Williams

6-2 185 RS-Sr. CB

Mobile, AL.

Long gone are the days when BYU football was largely dependent on transfer cornerbacks, although landing a few good ones now and again certainly isn’t a bad thing. Following last season, the Cougars landed the services of Jayven Williams, who played all 13 games for Mississippi State last season where he had 18 total tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.

Williams presents good size and experience for a cornerback position that is strong on starting talent, but perhaps lacking in depth behind assumed starters Evan Johnson and Tre Alexander. Williams is coming off an impressive spring performance which may vault him into the two-deep roster come fall as the coaching staff is intent on finding a good replacement for Mory Bamba who played out his eligibility last season.

Williams signed with Kennesaw State out of high school and saw ample playing time for the Owls which earned him a transfer opportunity to Mississippi State. He performed relatively well for the Bulldogs and opted to transfer to BYU for his final senior season.

Williams showed admirably throughout spring and will certainly continue to battle for playing time during the fall practice session, more so than top quality transfer cornerbacks have in years past.

For a lot of the BYU football era, fielding two quality cornerbacks was a total crapshoot from year to year with coaches largely depending on recruiting viable junior college transfers and then hoping they’d suffice when showing up come fall. Now, due to being able to establish quality cornerback play within the system and then keep those same players within the program, the cornerback position at BYU has gone from one of the traditionally weakest positions to one of strength in recent years.

So the performance of a quality transfer like Williams stands not so much as a necessity these days, but rather as a luxury, and should Williams rise to earn playing him, he’ll prove pivotal in enhancing the overall play on the defensive coverage edges while providing necessary depth throughout the season.