Dinosaurs, sabre-toothed tigers and starting white NFL cornerbacks… three creatures that have gone extinct. 
A white cornerback has not started at the position in the NFL since Jason Sehorn in 2003, making this the 17th consecutive NFL season without a starting white cornerback. The last time we even got a glimpse of a white cornerback was Julian Edelman playing some emergency nickel late in the 2011 season.
This phenomenon isn’t only in the NFL. College Football also has a severe lack of white cornerbacks.
This marks the third annual ranking of white cornerbacks. During the time period of these rankings no cornerback has even been close to playing in the NFL. There is some promise on the current list, but no sure NFL players. The search continues for the next Jason Sehorn and to break a 17 year drought of no white cornerbacks in the NFL.. Here are your 2019 rankings:
- Ashtyn Davis, Cal
Davis took a step up in 2018 earning first team All-Pac 12 honors as a kick returner. The ultimate move to safety happened, but he still has corner experience. He could be a NFL player, but will he ever be moved back to corner? Let’s hope so.
2020 Update: Davis was taken with the 68th selection in the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft by the Jets. The switch back to cornerback never happened.
- Johnathan Durham, Kansas State
Durham started the final 6 games and also had an interception during the season. Durham will compete this year for a starting cornerback role on the Wildcats and hopes to have a solid season. The NFL is unlikely, but maybe he will impress enough for a spot on a training camp roster.
2020 Update: Durham finished the season with one start at nickel corner… that one start was the upset against #4 Oklahoma. The call from the NFL and Bill Belichick never happened
- Ethan Bonner, Stanford
The highest ranked recruit on the list as the 107th rated corner on 247 for the class of 2018. Bonner saw playing time in the final four games as a freshman. He has the most promise on the list and the most likely to play in the NFL. Bonner will look to see the field more often as a Redshirt Freshman.
2020 Update: Bonner did not see the field in 2019. He will return to Stanford for his redshirt sophomore season.
- Brandon Ezell, San Jose State
Ezell will compete for a starting cornerback spot on San Jose State. He played sparingly in 2017 as a JUCO transfer and took a redshirt year in 2018. He also has potential as a punt returner. He is not going to be a NFL player, but he makes the list.
2020 Update: Ezell had an outstanding senior season finishing with 4 INTs and 36 tackles. However, he was not picked up as a priority free agent by the NFL.
- Jake Herbstreit, Clemson
Kirk’s son debuts at number five. Herbstreit is a freshman walk on at Clemson. He most likely won’t see the field for a few years (if at all), but playing at a power five school is quite the accomplishment.
2020 Update: Herbstreit did not receive any playing time.
- Dawson Hurst, Cal Poly
Cal Poly Freshman.
2020 Update: Hurst did not receive any playing time.
- Justin Murray, Bucknell
Bucknell Freshman.
2020 Update: Murray was switched to safety.
White Cornerback Prospects on the Radar
Ayden Hector- Sammamish, WA
By far the highest white ranked cornerback recruit we’ve had. He is a top 300 player and 4 star recruit. Hector hold 22 offers including Pac-12 Powerhouses USC, Stanford, and Oregon.
2020 Update: Hector committed to Stanford as a 4-star, 14th ranked CB in the country. His scholarship was rescinded in April 2020 after finding Hector was part of a sexual assault investigation involving four boys, 2 witnesses and a girl in the back of a truck bed. No charges were ever brought by the prosecution.
Many of these players were found by comments left by the readers. So if there is someone I’m missing, let me know. As you can probably tell, it is tough to find white cornerbacks.
Twitter: @TylerVesely
Thank God It's Saturday 
Mississippi State has one, Landon Guidry. He got some playing time against Southern Miss.
White corner for USAFA, Milton Bugg had an unusual interception yesterday. There are several high school videos on the net of him–doesn’t have that pro prospect look (although was productive and a playmaker at that level).
Some other guys to watch for next season (they could eventually start):
– Andrew Bird (Rice), started most of last season as a redshirt freshman;
– Riley Moss (Iowa), very talented, notched two interceptions against Minnesota but was limited by injures;
– Will Brocchini (Old Dominion), arrived as JUCO transfer from Sierra College last year, where he had 11 INTERCEPTIONS (!!!) as a freshman in 2017. It is insane he didn’t get recruited by FBS powerhouses.
I can add Ty Rocconi (Ole Miss preferred walk on) who got some playing time as backup defensive back (don’t know if safety or corner). Also watch out for some BYU or Air Force guys to emerge as backups. That’s all for Fbs football, where I believe white corners are gonna be nearly extinct in the next few years.
Maybe the situation is slightly better at the Fcs level but I don’t follow it very much. The only two names I can think of are Joe Bubonics (Dayton) and Jayden Price (North Dakota State), two young and talented players.
Another one at the FCS level to keep an eye on: Ryan Stapp, Abilene Christian (ACU). He played in all 12 games as a true freshman and notched 3 interceptions. Very interesting!
3 guys who have a chance to start or to play many snaps next year in FBS football:
Riley Moss (Soph., Iowa); Andrew Bird (Rs. Soph., Rice); Will Brocchini (Senior, Old Dominion) he was a beast at JUCO level but maybe is being converted to safety.
3 potential starters at FCS level: Evan Holm (Senior, North Dakota); Joe Bubonics (Rs. Soph., Dayton); Jayden Price (Rs. Soph., North Dakota State).
All these guys are very good and, in many cases, were underappreciated and underrecruited.