No cutting corners, BYU’s Jakob Robinson is prepared to succeed

Jakob Robinson hopes to spend his senior season at BYU on the move . No matter the formation, wherever the opponent’s top receiver goes, the Cougars best pass defender wants to follow. This is a potentially new twist to how Robinson has been used before, but defensive coordinator Jay Hill is going to play to his strengths — and when it comes to the corners, the former Orem High Tiger has proven his mettle.

“He’s gotten stronger. He’s faster and he is playing his coverages better,” Hill said. “We are going to take advantage of him for sure. There are going to be times when we match him up against the best wideout and then there is going to be times where we want him in a specific location.”

Robinson has been on the field in 37 games at BYU since transfering from Utah State in 2021. His 139 tackles and eight interceptions make him the leader of the pack.

“Absolutely, and he knows it,” said veteran cornerbacks coach Jenaro Gilford. “He has no choice but to become the leader. He already leads by example. He’s been doing that ever since he stepped on campus. Now he’s being more vocal. He is holding the younger guys accountable as far as coming in and getting extra film work and extra footwork.”

With the first year of Hill’s defense behind him, Robinson appears ready for chapter two.

“I think I understand the scheme a lot more,” he said. “I just move a lot faster. I know where to jump. We have a lot of new calls, but I feel like I understand what Jay Hill’s vision is and I’m a lot more connected with the players around me.”

Playing big

Often categorized as undersized, Robinson has a history of making big plays. Perhaps the biggest came with eight seconds remaining in the 2022 New Mexico Bowl. SMU scored a touchdown to pull within 24-23. The Mustangs attempted a two-point conversion to win the game.

Tanner Mordecai, a 6-2, 218-pound quarterback who had thrown for 3,524 yards and 33 touchdowns during the season, lined up in the shotgun, with four receivers to his left and one to his right. Robinson, at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, was stationed two yards deep in the end zone.

With no one to defend, Robinson was left with one job — contain Mordecai if he decides to run. The shifty quarterback didn’t have many keepers during the season, but sure enough, Mordecai took the snap, paused for a moment, and started upfield.

Robinson read the play perfectly. He charged forward and hit Mordecai at his knees, dropping the bigger body short of the goal line to preserve the win.

During BYU’s 2023 opener against Sam Houston, Robinson also came up big. His pair of interceptions on back-to-back third-quarter possessions, including one in the end zone, helped preserve the Cougars’ 14-0 victory.

When the Big 12 came to Provo, Robinson was ready. On Cincinnati’s first offensive possession, Robinson intercepted Cincinnati’s Emery Jones and returned it 42 yards for his first career touchdown.

“I have always been undersized since I was a kid, so I’m kind of used to it,” Robinson said. “I think now that I’m gaining weight, I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my body.”

NFL future?

Michael Davis is the most recent BYU corner to carve out a career in the NFL with steady work in San Diego and now Washington. Robinson is three inches shorter and 26 pounds lighter than Davis, who joined the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017. It’s Robinson’s quest to follow him there.

“His play has to take care of that, but if you are asking me, yes, of course he can get there. There are smaller guys in the league,” Gilford said. “He has the heart of a lion. He will come up and be physical. He loves to compete. He hates to get beat and he always wants to be right and that’s what they (NFL) are looking for.”

What Hill is looking for is a defense that can get off the field on third downs at a much better clip than last year, and he is relying on Robinson to be a driving force for improvement.

“We expect him to have a huge year. I think he’s capable of All-Big 12 honors, and if you do that, it puts you in line to be an All-American-type player,” Hill said. “The kid can be phenomenal. Now, he’s got to go do it, but I think he has the ability.”

Opening night

When the Cougars exit the locker room and enter the field on Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois, Robinson will be paying a little extra attention to the journey.

“I’m just so excited,” he said. “It’s going to be my last time running onto the field for the first game of the season. It’s gonna be a little bit sad. I know I’ll have my parents there.”

Robinson will also have a group of defenders the likes that Gilford hasn’t seen before.

“This is by far the most depth that we have ever had at corner in BYU history,” Gilford said. “We have eight or nine guys who can play.”

Whether he is assigned a specific territory or gets an all-access pass to cool down the opponent’s hot hand, Robinson is bound and determined to make his last year at BYU a big one. For a corner who doesn’t cut corners when it comes to preparation, he has put himself in a position to lead the way.

“I think we just have to be assignment-sound throughout the whole year and be consistent,” he said. “Our biggest thing with last year was we weren’t consistent.”

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com .