1 / 6

BYU freshman cornerback Therrian Alexander (right) competes against freshman wide receiver Devin Downing during practice in Provo on Friday, March 8, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

2 / 6

BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford (left) talks to sophomore cornerback Zion Allen during practice in Provo on Monday, March 4, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

3 / 6

BYU freshman cornerback Therrian Alexander (right) competes against a wide receiver for a pass during practice in Provo on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

4 / 6

BYU freshman cornerback Therrian Alexander (right) runs a drill during practice in Provo on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

5 / 6

BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford (left) talks to his guys during practice in Provo on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

Aaron Cornia, BYU Photo

6 / 6

BYU senior cornerback Jakob Robinson (right) goes up for a pass against another Cougar player during practice in Provo on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

❮ ❯

Take the throne.

That’s the term BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford uses when he talks about finding the right player to earn the starting role opposite senior Jakob Robinson.

“We are just waiting for somebody to come in and really take the throne,” Gilford said after practice on Monday. “We have a group of about five guys who we’re all competing on a daily basis. I’m just waiting for somebody to rise to the top. Consistency is going to be the key and that’s what we’re waiting for.”

The top spot is already virtually sealed up by Robinson, who has a wealth of experience to draw on.

“Jakob is Jakob,” Gilford said. “He’s going to do what he does. With him, we are just kind of fine-tuning things so it can get more consistent on a play-to-play basis.”

Gilford said that with spring camp winding down, some of the competitors for that other spot include sophomore Evan Johnson, junior Jayden Dunlap, freshman Therrian Alexander and junior Mory Bamba. Sophomore Marcus McKenzie is out with an injury but the Cougars are hoping he’ll be healthy in time for the upcoming season.

“We have a few other players behind them, but that’s basically the group to watch to see who rises to the top,” Gilford said.

The BYU player with probably the most experience with the Cougars is Bamba, who played in 12 games in 2022 and 2023.

“Mory is probably one of the most athletically gifted guys on the team as far as just high speed, strength and all that stuff,” Gilford said. “He just has to make sure he continues to get his football IQ up, continues to make the play when it presents itself on the field. If he can do that, the sky is the limit.”

Gilford said that it’s up to Bamba to take that next step.

“It’s going to be up to him to really go out there and make the play,” Gilford said. “I can tell him everything I want but at the end of the day, he’s got to go out there and get the job done.”

Bamba has been around Gilford long enough now that he should understand how the BYU cornerbacks coach works, although some of the new guys might still be getting acclimated.

“They are just going to feel like I’m coaching them hard,” Gilford said. “The expectation is going to be the same for everyone. That’s just the way it is. That’s just the way (Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake) wants it. That’s the way I love it and the players don’t back down from it, so that’s a good thing.”

Gilford said that he feels like the personality of this group of cornerbacks is one of confidence in themselves, which provides a good foundation to build on.

“It’s kind of contagious because they’re rubbing off on everybody in the room, which is great,” Gilford said. “You’ve got to be confident. You’ve got to have a short0term memory. You can’t back down from anything. You’ve got to be ready to compete on every single play. You might lose some but at the end of the day, they’ve got to take it with a grain of salt and have the next-play mentality.”

He’s optimistic that he’ll have a guy emerge as the starter and said it will be clear when it happens.

“You can tell because they start to play with so much confidence,” Gilford said. “They just become a natural leader, leading by example with consistent play. I tell my guys that the more consistent you are, the better you will be.

“Don’t worry about trying to do somebody else’s job. The better you are at your job, the better everybody else is going to be at their jobs and then the better we will be as an entire unit. That first guy who does that the fastest will be the person to take over. That’s we are waiting for.”

Newsletter