The Denver Broncos have one of the National Football League’s top secondaries. Loaded with star players and high caliber starters, it’s one of the backbones of Vance Joseph’s defense. The Broncos didn’t use a selection in this year’s draft at cornerback. However, they signed a handful of undrafted free agents to compete during training camp this summer. One of those was California standout Brent Austin.
Austin started his collegiate career at James Madison after being recruited by Curt Cignetti. He spent two seasons there and played in 16 games before transferring to USF in 2024 where he played in 13 games. For the 2025 collegiate season, he transferred again to California played primarily on the boundary for their defense and was a 13 game starter for the Golden Bears.
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The senior cornerback notched 42 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. His 13 pass deflections were second-best in the NCAA. Moreover, he stood out with only allowing 42-percent of throws in his direction for completions and just 22 receptions the entire season. Let’s take a deeper dive into Austin and what Broncos Country should expect from the UDFA this season.
Player Profile
Age: 22 | Experience: Rookie | College: California | Height: 5’10 | Weight: 180 pounds
Arm Length: 30-1/4” | Hand Size: 8-1/8” | Bench Press: N/A | Vertical: 31-1/2”
40-Yard Dash: 4.45 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.28 Seconds | Shuttle: 4.54 Seconds | Broad Jump: 10’-4”
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Brent Austin’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos
Given the depth the Broncos have at cornerback, I wouldn’t bank on Austin making the final 53-man roster unless an injury to one of their top starters or reserves happens. It seems far more likely that Austin would have a shot for continued development on the team’s practice squad. Nevertheless, his tape and productivity in his four-year collegiate career were impressive.
Austin didn’t test will during the pre-draft circuit, but he is a fundamentally sound player. Despite his size, he has good length and does well deflecting passes and winning battles in contest catch situations. He mostly played off-man and zone coverage for the Bears, but performed admirably when asked to press and attacks the ball in the air with a lot of aggressiveness and tenacity—something Joseph values in his defensive backs.
From what I watched, Austin demonstrated ample recovery speed and showed good shadowing skills. He was rarely caught out of position. Additionally, the Golden Bears standout sported high-end click and close ability from off coverage responsibilities and allowed little yards after the catch. In his four-year collegiate career, he allowed only 48 total receptions and 5 touchdowns on 123 targets.
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Final Thoughts
The Broncos are loaded at cornerback with Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Kris Abrams-Draine, and Jahdae Barron. Those are your top five to start the season and locks for the final 53-man roster. It’s entirely possible Denver opts to keep six cornerbacks, which is the only way I envision any UDFA player at the position making the final roster.
All things considered, it seems most realistic that Austin will have a good shot at earning a spot on the practice squad for continued development. You can never have enough quality cover players, and Austin’s collegiate tape and resume show a promising player who has the ability to contribute as a reserve player in the future.
