One of Jay Hill’s top defenders during his time at Weber State is joining him at BYU.
All-American cornerback Eddie Heckard is transferring to BYU, he announced on social media Thursday. The school made it official soon thereafter that he had signed to the team’s 2022 recruiting class.
Vanquish the Foe’s Robby McCombs first reported earlier in the day that Heckard had enrolled at the school.
Heckard initially declared for the 2023 NFL draft last month but will instead join the BYU program via the transfer portal. The Cougars will join the Big 12 Conference this summer.
Heckard started 36 games for the Wildcats and had a decorated career at Weber State under Hill, who became BYU’s defensive coordinator this offseason.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound native of Las Vegas was a four-time All-Big Sky Conference honoree (three times on the first team) and was named a second-team FCS All-American by The Associated Press for the 2022 season.
Heckard had 30 pass breakups at Weber State, second-most in school history, and added 218 career tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and four sacks.
During the 2022 season, he had 71 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass deflections.
Heckard will have one year of eligibility remaining as a seventh-year senior — thanks to a redshirt season, medical redshirt and the COVID-exempt 2020 season.
His addition will help a Cougars secondary that has lost cornerbacks Kaleb Hayes and D’Angelo Mandell, while former BYU cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally is transferring to Tennessee.