Latest news with #FCSAll-American
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers rookie draws comparison to Hall of Fame defensive back
After giving up just 192.8 passing yards per game in 2024 (fourth-fewest in the NFL), the San Francisco 49ers made a lot of changes to their secondary, including swapping out Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Talanoa Hufanga, Nick McCloud, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, George Odum, Rock Ya-Sin and Tashaun Gipson for Jason Pinnock, Tre Brown, Richie Grant, Siran Neal and Tre Tomlinson in free agency. Then, in the NFL draft, San Francisco used their second of two third-round picks (No. 100 overall) on Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout. Stout, 23, was a three-star recruit out of North Shore High School in Houston, Texas before spending his first two college seasons at North Texas and then transferring to Western Kentucky for the last years three. In 45 career games between the two schools, Stout recorded 166 tackles (12 for a loss), 15 passes defensed, six interceptions (two for touchdowns), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered (returned for a touchdown). He also earned All-Conference honors thrice and FCS All-American honors twice. As Stout looks to earn a starting opportunity as the team's nickelback, 49ers general manager John Lynch has been impressed with the rookie's performance and even compared him to a Hall of Fame defensive back. "This whole class has been good, but I'll tell you, Upton Stout, you don't have to have a real trained, you just come to practice," Lynch said on KNBR's "Murph & Markus" this week. "You always have to be careful making comparisons to Hall of Fame players, but I played with a nickel [in Tampa Bay in] Ronde Barber, and they wear the same number -- the feistiness, the competitor that Upton is, and that kind of drives his entire game. Now you have to have a skillset, and Upton certainly has that." Barber was a third-round pick out of Virginia in the 1997 NFL draft and spent his entire 16-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making five Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams and winning one Super Bowl. He and Lynch were teammates in Tampa Bay for seven seasons from 1997-2003. Obviously, putting Hall of Fame expectations on a rookie cornerback would be foolish, but it's clear that Stout belongs on the field. If he continues on this trajectory through the end of the preseason (and remains healthy), he'll give himself an opportunity to be out there with the 49ers' defensive starters in their Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. More 49ers: 49ers vs. Broncos: Will 49ers starters play in preseason opener?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers rookie sought advice from retired NFL CB who spent five seasons in San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers used six of their 11 selections in the 2025 NFL draft on the defensive side of the ball, and while a few of them have flashed during training camp, cornerback Upton Stout has been one of the most impressive. Stout, 23, was a three-star recruit out of North Shore High School in Houston, Texas before committing to play his college ball at North Texas. After two years with the Mean Green, he transferred to Western Kentucky for his final three collegiate seasons. The 5-foot-8 cornerback earned All-Conference honors three times and FCS All-American honors twice while recording 166 tackles (12 for a loss), 15 passes defensed, six interceptions, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered in 45 career games between both stops. Now in San Francisco, Stout is competing for the starting nickel cornerback job in training camp, and while he's adjusting to the NFL game, he's also learning by watching a former 49ers defensive back's tape. 'When guys come in, we show them how to play the position from the guys who played the position at a high level to show how it should be done,' 49ers defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks recently told NBC Sports. 'We show them the previous guys that played their position in our scheme, and one of the guys that was the best player at it in our scheme was K'Waun Williams.' Williams played in 65 games and started 36 for San Francisco from 2017-21, recording 224 tackles (19 for a loss), 17 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, five sacks, four interceptions and a fumble recovery. However, not only did Stout watch Williams on film, the rookie reached out to the now-retired cornerback for advice. 'The thing that stood out the most was he reached out to K'Waun Williams on his own on social media,' Bullocks said. 'And K'Waun got back to him and they connected. K'Waun sent him clips and all that, so that's very exciting for a young guy. It says a lot about who he is as a player and a person.' Earlier this week, Stout also shared his own feelings on learning from Williams, as he tries to earn his spot in his first NFL training camp. "I really was just reaching out to him just so I could just pick his brain and see how he played a lot of concepts, techniques and things like that," Stout told local media. "I'm really just trying to figure out how I can be the best me but always knowing what the standard was before I came in. I just wanted to see what the standard was and see if I could surpass that standard." Adjusting to the NFL is never an easy task for young players, but Stout seems to be taking advantage of his opportunities on the field and going the extra mile to seek wisdom from former players who were in Robert Saleh's system before. That should set him up for success going article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Rookie CB Upton Stout got advice from former 49ers CB K'Waun Williams
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers rookie sought advice from retired NFL CB who spent five seasons in San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers used six of their 11 selections in the 2025 NFL draft on the defensive side of the ball, and while a few of them have flashed during training camp, cornerback Upton Stout has been one of the most impressive. Stout, 23, was a three-star recruit out of North Shore High School in Houston, Texas before committing to play his college ball at North Texas. After two years with the Mean Green, he transferred to Western Kentucky for his final three collegiate seasons. The 5-foot-8 cornerback earned All-Conference honors three times and FCS All-American honors twice while recording 166 tackles (12 for a loss), 15 passes defensed, six interceptions, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered in 45 career games between both stops. Now in San Francisco, Stout is competing for the starting nickel cornerback job in training camp, and while he's adjusting to the NFL game, he's also learning by watching a former 49ers defensive back's tape. 'When guys come in, we show them how to play the position from the guys who played the position at a high level to show how it should be done,' 49ers defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks recently told NBC Sports. 'We show them the previous guys that played their position in our scheme, and one of the guys that was the best player at it in our scheme was K'Waun Williams.' Williams played in 65 games and started 36 for San Francisco from 2017-21, recording 224 tackles (19 for a loss), 17 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, five sacks, four interceptions and a fumble recovery. However, not only did Stout watch Williams on film, the rookie reached out to the now-retired cornerback for advice. 'The thing that stood out the most was he reached out to K'Waun Williams on his own on social media,' Bullocks said. 'And K'Waun got back to him and they connected. K'Waun sent him clips and all that, so that's very exciting for a young guy. It says a lot about who he is as a player and a person.' Earlier this week, Stout also shared his own feelings on learning from Williams, as he tries to earn his spot in his first NFL training camp. "I really was just reaching out to him just so I could just pick his brain and see how he played a lot of concepts, techniques and things like that," Stout told local media. "I'm really just trying to figure out how I can be the best me but always knowing what the standard was before I came in. I just wanted to see what the standard was and see if I could surpass that standard." Adjusting to the NFL is never an easy task for young players, but Stout seems to be taking advantage of his opportunities on the field and going the extra mile to seek wisdom from former players who were in Robert Saleh's system before. That should set him up for success going forward. More 49ers: A new NFL rule nearly caused 49ers TE George Kittle to retire
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Under-the-radar rookie emerging as potential starter for 49ers at vital defensive position
After allowing the fourth-fewest passing yards (192.8 per game) in 2024, the San Francisco 49ers' cornerback room underwent massive changes, including Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Nick McCloud and Rock Ya-Sin leaving for new teams and Tre Brown, Siran Neal, Eli Apple and Tre Tomlinson joining in free agency. San Francisco also added a trio of rookies - Jakob Robinson, Derrick Canteen and Upton Stout - to the group. Stout was the team's lone draft pick at cornerback, with the 49ers taking him in the third round out of Western Kentucky. The 49ers have hosted six days of training camp at their SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, California, and with Renardo Green missing time with a hamstring and Deommodore Lenoir missing Tuesday's session, Stout has taken on a bigger role than previously imagined in practice. During his time on the field and in the meeting rooms, Stout has caught the attention of 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is returning to San Francisco's sidelines after serving as the New York Jets' head coach for the last four seasons. 'He's a sharp kid. It's definitely not too big for him,' Saleh said during a recent media availability. 'We've got to be careful as a coaching staff, you know, you've still got to slow play it. Regardless of how smart you feel like they are, there are still a lot of things that they're still learning, so you just want to, we'll push the envelope, but never too far to where he can't execute his job. But that's stuff we're learning, trying to figure out who he is and what he's capable of. That's really for everybody on the defense. It's finding out what they're capable of and pushing the envelope to meet that line of their ability to execute to their God-given ability... "Like I said on Stout, he's doing a really good job. The biggest thing for all these rookies, just do your job, be 100 in that regard. And I think he's doing a really nice job. He's been beat a few times, obviously there's a couple of coverage things that he's been beat on, but it's all learning. It's for all those guys, for the entire defense, it's grinding through rep after rep and trying to fine tune your craft.' Stout began his collegiate career at North Texas in 2020 before transferring to Western Kentucky in 2022. Over the last three years he earned All-Conference honors thrice and FCS All-American honors twice while recording 125 tackles (11 for a loss), 11 passes defensed, six interceptions, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered in 33 games. The 23-year-old has a lot of work to do before he earns a starting role as a rookie, but there's certainly a path for him to do so, especially considering he's already earning praise from his coordinator. More 49ers: 7 takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers' first week of training camp
Miami Herald
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Former Jackson State star signs with Dallas Cowboys
After an up-and-down journey in the NFL, former Jackson State star and Detroit Lions edge rusher James Houston has signed with the Dallas Cowboys, according to multiple reports. Houston, a 2022 sixth-round pick out of Jackson State, began his career on the Lions' practice squad. He made an immediate impact after being activated, debuting on Thanksgiving Day with a two-sack performance against the Buffalo Bills. He went on to tally eight sacks in just seven games, quickly becoming one of the league's most surprising breakout rookies. Despite that early success, Houston struggled to carve out a consistent role. In the 2023 offseason, Detroit experimented with him at SAM linebacker, but the fit didn't stick. His momentum took another hit when he fractured his ankle while covering a punt in Week 2 against Seattle, sidelining him for most of the season. He returned just in time for the NFC Championship game. In 2024, the Lions gave Houston another opportunity as a traditional defensive end. However, he began the season as a healthy scratch. An injury to star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson opened the door for Houston to get back on the field, but he was ultimately waived on November 26. Now, Houston gets a fresh start with Dallas, a team actively building depth behind Micah Parsons. His mix of speed and burst off the edge makes him a compelling low-risk, high-reward signing for the Cowboys. At Jackson State University, James Houston was a dominant force on defense. In his lone season (2021), he recorded 70 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 1 interception, helping lead JSU to an SWAC Championship and earning FCS All-American honors. At 25 years old, James Houston has a chance to revive his career and contribute to one of the NFC's top contenders, the Dallas Cowboys. The post Former Jackson State star signs with Dallas Cowboys appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
