Brent "Paco" Austin[1][2] (born December 19, 2003)[3] is an American professional football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the James Madison Dukes, South Florida Bulls, and California Golden Bears. Austin was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
| No. 25 – Denver Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 19, 2003 San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Cajon (San Bernardino) |
| College | James Madison (2022–2023) South Florida (2024) California (2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
Early life
editAustin was born on December 19, 2003, in San Bernardino, California to Blaze and Christina Austin.[3]
Austin initially attended Aquinas High School, where he played football as a two-way player at cornerback and wide receiver. In 2018, he aided them in achieving a 10–2 record and a league championship.[2]
Austin later transferred Cajon High School in his senior year, where he helped the football team win the CIF regional championship in 2021.[3] In addition to football, Austin was also a track and field athlete, qualifying for the DI CIF in the 100-meter dash and ranking #4 in California in the 4x100 relay.[4][5] Coming out of high school, Austin was a zero-star recruit.[2]
College career
editJames Madison
editIn March 2022, Madison received an offer from James Madison Dukes head coach Curt Cignetti, and he committed to James Madison shortly thereafter.[2] During the 2022 season, he played in five games, recording eight total tackles. He saw in increased role the next year, playing in 11 games and posting 12 tackles and one pass deflection, as well as an 81-yard pick six against the University of Connecticut on November 11, 2023, for his first college career interception.[6]
South Florida
editFollowing Cignetti's departure from James Madison to coach the Indiana Hoosiers, Austin transferred to the University of South Florida.[2] Starting in all 13 games for the Bulls in 2024, Austin logged a career-high 48 tackles, two interceptions, and a team-leading 10 pass deflections.[3]
California
editAfter being highly sought-after in the transfer portal, Austin returned to his home state to play for the California Golden Bears.[7] He cited to school's track record of developing future NFL defensive backs such as Nnamdi Asomugha and Camryn Bynum as a major reason behind his decision to play for California.[1] During the 2025 season, he once again started in all 13 games, this time recording 42 tackles, 13 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a half sack.[4] Due to his standout season, Austin was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference third-team.[8]
Austin later garnered significant attention from NFL teams at the 2026 East–West Shrine Bowl, demonstrating proficiency in coverage ability, tackling technique, and play recognition.[9][10]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 30+1⁄4 in (0.77 m) | 8+1⁄8 in (0.21 m) | 4.49 s | 1.56 s | 2.59 s | 4.54 s | 7.28 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[11] | ||||||||||||
Denver Broncos
editAfter going unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Austin drew interest from multiple teams as an undrafted free agent.[12] He eventually signed with the Denver Broncos on May 8, 2026.[13]
Personal life
editAustin has Mexican heritage, and received the Spanish-language nickname "Paco" from his father as a child.[2] His younger brother Brayden played college football as a wide receiver for Citrus College.[2] He has two sisters, Kaylah and Cassandra.[6]
References
edit- 1 2 Ruiz, Joaquin (August 13, 2025). "Paco Austin aims to follow footsteps of Cal football alumni in NFL". The Daily Californian. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brugler, Dane. "Brent Austin - The Beast 2026". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brent Austin - Football". USF Athletics. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "Brent Austin - Football". California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Evans, Luca (April 3, 2022). "Cajon's Seth Johnson has no time for days off as a four-event track star". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "Brent Austin - Football". James Madison University Athletics. September 5, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Cal Beats Out SEC Interest for USF Transfer Brent Austin In Huge Portal Win | College Sports Network". May 2, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "ACC Announces 2025 All-ACC Football Teams". theACC.com. December 2, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Walker, Patrik (January 27, 2026). "2026 Shrine Bowl standouts that make sense for the Cowboys". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Melo, Justin (April 29, 2026). "Best Undrafted Free Agents Teams Will Regret Passing On in the NFL Draft". NFL Draft On SI. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 NFL Draft Scout Brent Austin College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Heath, Jon (May 1, 2026). "Broncos beat out 'multiple teams' to sign undrafted cornerback". Broncos Wire. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (May 8, 2026). "Broncos sign 13 college free agents". Denver Broncos. Retrieved May 28, 2026.