Jay'Vion Cole

Jay'Vion Cole has taken the long way around. A two-star out of Oakland who also ran the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay, he won a CIF State Championship at McClymonds in 2022, then played for four programs. He signed with Cal Poly and started nine games as a true freshman with 21 tackles and four interceptions, transferred to San Jose State for 2023 and posted 38 tackles, three interceptions, 13 pass deflections and a sack across 13 games for All-Mountain West honorable mention, then moved to Texas and saw one game with a tackle and an interception on limited snaps. Reunited at Arizona with former San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan and cornerbacks coach Chip Viney, he tied for the team lead with four interceptions in 2025 while adding four pass breakups, 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He was part of a Wildcats secondary that ranked first nationally in pass efficiency defense and he earned third-team All-Big 12 honors. The zone coverage is genuinely top tier. He reads and drives on throws, held opponents to low yardage per catch, and picked off passes against Colorado and Kansas in Big 12 play. The limits are athletic and circumstantial. His run defense is poor and he gets washed as a force on the edge, his frame and length are average for boundary work, his production came largely from off and zone alignment rather than sticky man coverage, and his tackling finish is shaky against bigger ball carriers.