UPDATED: Eight Cougars receive pro football free agent opportunities

Players on last year’s No. 13-ranked BYU football team have reached agreements to pursue professional football opportunities

UPDATED: Eight Cougars receive pro football free agent opportunitiesUPDATED: Eight Cougars receive pro football free agent opportunities

PROVO, Utah — Eight members of last year’s No. 13-ranked BYU football team have reached agreements with NFL or CFL teams this weekend as undrafted free agents. 

While no Cougars were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, seven players announced agreements with NFL teams after the seven-round draft concluded and one announced a free agent signing with the CFL. Additional free-agent deals could still be announced, and the annual CFL Draft of Canadian players will take place Tuesday, with former BYU defensive end Isaiah Bagnah expected to be selected.

Following the NFL Draft on Saturday, All-Big 12 First Team defense end Tyler Batty signed a free-agent deal with Minnesota Vikings, while All-Big 12 honorable mention defensive tackle Blake Mangelson received a minicamp invite to also go to Minnesota. Meanwhile, All-Big 12 Second Team cornerback Jakob Robinson inked a deal with San Francisco 49ers, and All-Big 12 honorable mention cornerback Marque Collins signed with the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Caleb Etienne signed with Cincinnati Bengals following his All-Big 12 First Team season playing left tackle for the Cougars in 2024. Fellow offensive tackle Brayden Keim, who received All-Big 12 honorable mention, secured minicamp invitations from both the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears, while CFN All-Big 12 honorable mention center Connor Pay will go to the Las Vegas Raiders with a minicamp invite. Wide receiver Darius Lassiter, who received honorable mention for Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2023 during his big-play, two-year career in Provo, received a minicamp invite from the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. 

With the announced NFL agreements, 224 former Cougars overall have gone to the NFL as undrafted free agents while 155 players have been drafted. Information about each of the eight players who announced aggreements is included below. 

Tyler Batty | DE | Minnesota Vikings

A team captain, Batty played in 53 games in his Cougar career, including 45 starts at defensive end. He posted 224 total tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hurries. The Payson, Utah, product was also a playmaker in creating turnovers, forcing three fumbles and dropping back into coverage to make two interceptions. He was the only defensive lineman in the nation in 2024 with two picks.

In 2024, Batty led a BYU defense that topped the Big 12 and ranked No. 13 nationally in total defense (308.8 ypg) and No. 18 in scoring defense (19.6 ppg) to help the Cougars earn a first-place tie atop the Big 12 standings at 7-2 and finish the season ranked No. 13 with an 11-2 record. Batty recorded 59 stops and eight quarterback hurries en route to being named to the All-Big 12 First Team. He was on the Rotary Lombardi Final Watchlist as well as watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy. Batty graduated with a degree in communications studies and participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine.

In 2023, Batty earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors and was a Wuerffel Trophy nominee and one of 11 players named to the prestigious AFCA Good Works Team. Batty was also recognized by the Big 12 coaches during each of his two seasons in the league as an honorable mention honoree for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Caleb Etienne | OL | Cincinnati Bengals

Etienne started 17 of 30 games at BYU after transferring from Oklahoma State. In all, Etienne played in 46 games at the FBS level with 30 starts. He began his career at Fort Scot Community College in 2019 where he was named an NJCAA All-American as a freshman.

Helping the Cougars earn a first-place tie atop the Big 12 standings and finish the season ranked No. 13 with an 11-2 record, Etienne anchored the left tackle spot for the Cougars in 2024, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors from the conference and Phil Steele. He was also named a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention and second-team All-Big 12 by The Associated Press.

The New Orleans native was also a Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year honorable mention and was named the Offensive Player of the Game against SMU last season.

Jakob Robinson | CB | San Francisco 49ers

Robinson, from Orem, Utah, played in 50 games at BYU, with 35 starts. A transfer from Utah State, Robinson played in 4 games with one start for the Aggies in 2020. Robinson racked up 190 total tackles in his career, with 131 solo takedowns.

A team captain in 2024, he added 11 career interceptions, good for No. 2 since 2000 at BYU behind former NFL safety Kai Nacua and  21 pass breakups, tied for No. 3 since 2000 at BYU. Last season, Robinson posted 43 tackles, five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, five pass breakups and three interceptions

Robinson was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2024 after earning third-team honors in 2023. He was a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist in 2023 when he totaled 59 tackles and four interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Brayden Keim | OL | Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears

Keim appeared in 36 games at BYU, starting 19 on the offensive line. The 6-foot-8, 322-pound Keim began his career in the tight end room before growing into an offensive lineman.

Keim helped the Cougars this past year earn a first-place tie atop the Big 12 standings and finish the season ranked No. 13 with an 11-2 record. He started the first nine games of the season at right tackle while BYU jumped out to a perfect 9-0 start.

He, unfortunately, suffered a season-ending injury and wasn't able to complete the season. Depsite the injury, he was recognized by the league's coaches with All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition. 

Darius Lassiter | WR | Philadelphia Eagles

Lassiter, a co-captain and All-Big 12 honorable mention selection, caught 45 passes for 703 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games this past season.

The Chandler, Arizona, product played in 22 games overall at BYU with 19 starts after transferring from Eastern Michigan where he played in 13 games. He totaled 114 receptions, 1,539 yards and 12 touchdowns in his FBS football career.

Lassiter also played in 17 games at Butler Community College, where he tallied 51, 913 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to being named an NJCAA All-American honorable mention in 2021.

Blake Mangelson | DT | Minnesota Vikings

Mangelson, from Nephi, Utah, played in 41 games in his career, moving from defensive end to defensive tackle in 2024 where he started 12 of 13 games for the Cougars. He posted 37 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks and an interception in 2024.

Mangelson totaled 82 total tackles in his career with 10.5 tackles for loss over four years at BYU. Mangelson was selected to the All-Big 12 Third Team by the College Football Network, All-Big 12 Fourth Team from Phil Steele and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention from the coaches.

The Juab High product was also a two-time CSC Academic All-District Team selection and Burlsworth Trophy nominee in 2024.

Connor Pay | OL | Las Vegas Raiders

One of BYU’s team captains in 2024, Pay played in 51 games for the Cougars, including 41 starts over his career. From Highland, Utah, Pay started games at both center and guard during his career and was a three-time Rimington Trophy watch list honoree recognizing the nation's top centers. 

In 2024, Pay helped the Cougars earn a first-place tie atop the Big 12 standings and finish the season ranked No. 13 with an 11-2 record, starting nine games before an injury and was recognized by the College Football Network as an All-Big 12 honorable mention performer.

Boasting a strong academic resume, Pay was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team in 2023 and 2024, and also represented BYU on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List last season.

Marque Collins | DB | Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Collins played in 13 games at BYU, starting 12 at the cornerback position after transferring from Weber State where he played in 46 games with 30 starts for the Wildcats.

He totaled 124 total tackles, including 24 last season for the Cougars. Collins added two picks at BYU, bringing his collegiate total to seven in his career. He also boasted 28 total pass breakups in his career, including nine at BYU in 2024.

Collins, from Sacramento, California, was an All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2024 and an All-Big Sky honorable mention in 2021. He helped Weber State to three Big Sky titles and four FCS playoff appearances.