The NFL door swung shut again Wednesday for Jakob Robinson, the Orem product and former BYU captain whose ball skills once made him one of the Cougars’ most reliable playmakers.

The San Francisco 49ers released Robinson from the practice squad to create space after signing veteran receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko Jr., and adding defensive lineman Naquan Jones to the active roster, via the NFL transaction log.

The move ends Robinson’s second stint with the club he joined as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 draft.

Robinson’s path has been anything but linear. After one season at Utah State, he transferred home to BYU in 2021 and became a fixture in the secondary for four years.

He finished his Cougar career with 11 interceptions — second-most at the school since 2000 — and 21 pass breakups. In 2023 he posted four picks, including a 42-yard return for a touchdown against Cincinnati, and earned Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist honors.

As a senior in 2024, he was a team captain and second-team All-Big 12 selection, adding three more interceptions and five tackles for loss.

Cougar fans still remember the 2022 New Mexico Bowl, when Robinson stuffed SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai on a two-point try to preserve a 24-23 win.

Undersized at 5-foot-10 and roughly 170 pounds for much of his college career, he answered questions about his frame at the Big 12 Pro Day with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, a 38.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 broad jump. Those numbers helped him land in Santa Clara.

The first year did not go as planned. Robinson broke his forearm in the 2025 preseason finale and spent the season on injured reserve.

He returned in 2026, was waived at final cuts on Aug. 30, and signed back to the practice squad the next day. Three weeks later he was let go again.

For BYU supporters, the release is familiar territory. Robinson was never the biggest corner on the field, but he was often the one making the play.

That same profile — local kid, high-motor ballhawk, willing to bounce between corner, nickel and safety — still has value on NFL practice squads and in camps that need depth in the secondary.

Whether another team claims him or he waits for the next call, Robinson leaves San Francisco the same way he arrived in Provo: as a Cougar who produced when it counted.

The next chapter is open. The film from LaVell Edwards Stadium remains.