More than a few observers at one of BYU’s preseason training camp practices last week had to scramble to find their rosters after a defensive back picked off a ball intended for receiver Reggie Frischknecht.
Who’s No. 15?
That would be cornerback Jayven Williams, a transfer from Mobile, Alabama, by way of Kennesaw State and the SEC’s Mississippi State who, surprisingly to some, chose BYU for his final season of college football eligibility. Williams, 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, has turned some heads in camp with his playmaking ability and outstanding speed.
Returning starters Tre Alexander and Evan “Shmev” Johnson seemingly have the starting cornerback spots locked up, but keep an eye on Williams as a guy who could see considerable playing time in the secondary.
Redshirt junior Kevin Doe and redshirt freshman Jordyn Criss are also in the mix, said new BYU cornerbacks coach Lewis Walker after spring camp. Sophomore Jonathan Kabeya is still in the rehab process as the Cougars look to replace Mory Bamba, now a member of the New York Jets.
“From the time I walked in, I told those guys that everybody has a clean slate with me,” Walker said. “I didn’t recruit any of these guys. I don’t care if you are a walk-on or a true freshman or an All-American senior. The best guys are going to play.”
For his part, Williams isn’t ready to concede a thing, or worry about playing time.
“Right now, I’m just working hard every day,” he said. “Whatever they want me to do, that is what I am going to do. If they need me to snap the football, I will snap the football. I’m just trying to get better.
“Right now, I’m just working hard every day. Whatever they want me to do, that is what I am going to do. If they need me to snap the football, I will snap the football. I’m just trying to get better.”
— BYU defensive back Jayven Williams
“Those guys who have been here awhile, Tre and Shmev, they’re two great corners,” Williams continued. “We are all just putting our pride to the side and learning from each other. All of us just try to play our best, and compete hard every day.”
Williams played nickelback his last year at Kennesaw State, but was mostly a cornerback last year for the Bulldogs, making 18 total tackles and one interception in 13 games. He was strictly a receiver at Baker High in Alabama, then moved to defensive back at Kennesaw State.
“I don’t mind scoring touchdowns, but now I’m used to playing DB, so that’s where I’ll stay,” he said. “I am just locked in on DB right now, hoping to show out there.”
Marriage has made Williams a new man
Having arrived in Provo in January, Williams participated in spring ball and then graduated in April from BYU with a degree in general studies. He feels like he has fit in well with the culture that head coach Kalani Sitake has established, and not just because he’s got experience and good size for a cornerback.
He’s also married.
Williams tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Eleanna, whom he had met during his three years at Kennesaw State, during his year at Mississippi State. He said it is “nice” to not be the only married player on the team, which he “probably” was in Starkville.
“Being married has helped in a way here, because it is a common goal that a lot of people here have,” he said. “Once you’re a married man, you have values you have to live by and things like that. So I feel like everybody has the same mindset. That just makes the team better, and that’s different from a lot of other teams.”
How an SEC player landed at BYU
After Williams entered the transfer portal last December, BYU was one of the first programs to get in touch with him. He said he knew a lot about the program because of the Cougars’ frequent appearances on late-night television.
“If I could put it in a simple terms, it was like, ‘Wow, BYU is interested,’” he said. “I was familiar with BYU because I used to watch them on TV, playing great teams, winning big games and things like that. So I always knew who BYU was and what it was all about.”
He had several offers and made a few visits, but when he got to BYU, everything just felt right.
“Coach Kalani and all the other coaches just showed me that they really wanted me to be here, and they had this culture that was so strong and unique,” he said. “I feel really blessed to be here. We do things a lot different from other schools. I love it.”
When Williams told friends and family he was transferring to BYU, more than a few eyebrows were raised, he said, because he is not a member of the faith that supports BYU, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“A lot of people had the reaction that I was crazy, just because I am not Mormon and was coming from the South,” he said. “They would ask, ‘Do you know what you are getting yourself into?’ I told them you have to come see it for yourself because it is not what you think it is. It is not what you hear it is.”
Williams said his parents also made the visit and “just fell in love with it, and the coaches,” and understood why he had found his home.
“There are a lot of good people here of all faiths and beliefs,” he said. “People here just want to show you love and show you the right way to live, and that’s what this place is all about. It’s home now.”
