Jay'Vion Cole
Arizona#177 overallDraft Movement
Up 10 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
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.
Strengths
- Top-tier zone coverage, reading and driving on throws from off alignment
- ball-hawking instincts produced four interceptions in 2025, tied for the team lead
- held opponents to low yardage per catch across the season
- picked off passes against Colorado and Kansas in Big 12 play
- part of a secondary that ranked first nationally in pass efficiency defense
- 13 pass deflections in a single season at San Jose State
- 12 career interceptions across four programs, so the ball production travels
- added a sack, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 2025
Weaknesses
- Run defense is poor and he is a liability as a force on the edge
- tackling finish is shaky against bigger ball carriers
- frame and length are average for outside boundary work
- production came largely from off and zone alignment rather than sticky man coverage
- older prospect on his fourth program, so the eligibility timeline needs confirming
- only one game of tape at Texas before moving again
- scheme-specific value, which narrows the number of defenses that will want him
NFL Comparison
Josh Newton zone-eyes corner with ball production; Riley Moss off-coverage reader without recovery speed; Darius Rush scheme-specific cover man
College Stats
2022 (Fr, Cal Poly): 9 starts, 21 tackles, 4 INT; 2023 (So, San Jose State): 13 G, 38 tackles, 3 INT, 13 PBU, 1 sack; 2024 (Jr, Texas): 1 G, 1 tackle, 1 INT; 2025 (Sr, Arizona): 4 INT (tied team lead), 4 PBU, 23 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, third-team All-Big 12
Measurables
Awards & Honors
2025 third-team All-Big 12; 2023 All-Mountain West honorable mention; CIF State Champion at McClymonds in 2022; member of the 2025 Arizona secondary that led the nation in pass efficiency defense