The BYU Cougars will kick off the 2026 season in 1 day against Utah Tech. As we count down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 1: junior cornerback Therrian "Tre" Alexander III.
Tre Alexander's background
Hailing from Decatur, Georgia, Therrian Alexander is one of the few but growing number of Cougars with roots in the South. He was a three-star prospect with an 87 rating by 247 Sports in the class of 2024. This made him the No. 91 player in the state of Georgia that year and a Top 70 corner nationally.
The lanky, athletic 6-foot-2, 175-pound athlete was a pretty hot commodity on the recruiting trail. He held offers from Ole Miss, Houston, West Virginia, Houston, NC State, and even Georgia Tech from right in his own backyard. Despite not having any real ties to BYU, the state of Utah, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Alexander decided to call Provo home.
In addition to his height, Tre also brought speed to BYU. In high school he won the state title in the 400 meters and also excelled in the 100 meters with a personal best of 11.1 seconds.
It was a good decision for both him and the BYU football community.
Alexander's past and present with BYU
He cut his teeth as a true freshman in 2024 by appearing sparingly in 10 games with three tackles and two passes defended. That's a solid start for a true freshman on a BYU team that went 11-2 and beat Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
Last year he saw his role grow as he started 12 of 14 games and registered 34 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, six passes defended, and an interception. The highlight from last season was his interception against West Virginia that was accompanied by a 49-yard return all the way down to the Mountaineers 3-yard line, setting up a Cougars touchdown.
He enters 2026 as an experienced upperclassman who should start at cornerback alongside senior Evan Johnson. While Tre had a solid season a year ago, he could have an exceptional one in 2026. He was still learning by doing last year, his first full season starting at the Power Four level. In the video above showing his interception, you can hear a member of BYU's defensive staff say, "Good job kid! Way to grow up!"
Last year was Therrian Alexander III's "growing up" year. 2026 could realistically be the year that he flat out dominates. His elite size, speed, and now experience are setting him up for a breakout season in BYU's secondary.
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