Defensive Players to Watch: Iowa State @ BYU

I’m sorry, but WHAT?! BYU definitely got their equipment team sped up for night games in Big 12!

Iowa State: Blake Thompson

Blake replaced Jeremiah Cooper in the game against Kansas. Unfortunately, it did not go well for him and the fans agree that losing Cooper was a significant setback. However, now that Blake has had the opportunity to play a full game and with Jeremiah still possibly unable to play according to Matt, he will feel more confident and make fewer errors.

Blake has been a part of the program for two years and redshirted last year after playing in his allotted three games. This season, he has played in six games and made significant contributions in games against Baylor and Kansas. He has recorded 11 total tackles and two pass deflections. He is the least experienced player in the secondary, and with two different quarterbacks vying for the starting position until kickoff, Blake needs to demonstrate that he can handle any situation.

BYU: Jakob Robinson

Jakob is a standout cornerback for BYU. He has already made four interceptions, one of which resulted in a touchdown, and four pass deflections, in addition to recording 51 tackles. Jakob was recently honored with the Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week title for his impressive performance against Cincinnati.

The junior started his college football career at Utah State before transferring to BYU in 2022. During his first season with the Cougars, he played in all 13 games and started in five of them.

With Rocco struggling with miscommunication on some routes, Jakob may have an opportunity to further increase his interception total.