Latest news with #K'WaunWilliams
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- 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
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Upton Stout looks like the 49ers nickel of the future to start camp
Upton Stout looks like the 49ers nickel of the future to start camp originally appeared on The Sporting News It's been four years since the San Francisco 49ers had a consistent playmaker at nickel in their defense. K'Waun Williams held that title for five years up until 2021, and third-round rookie Upton Stout seems to be next up. Stout put his skills in the slot on display throughout his college career, as well as during last year's Senior Bowl. Through the beginning of training camp, the 23-year-old has continued to have success, with The Athletic's Matt Barrows claiming he's been 'the best looking rookie in camp so far.' With Robert Saleh returning to oversee the defense in 2025, he'll be looking for someone to fill the role that Williams controlled during his first stint as defensive coordinator. There are some obvious similarities between Stout and Williams, with each player measuring in at 5-foot-9, and Stout just four pounds lighter at 181 pounds. Just as Williams did for the 49ers during his playing days, Stout uses his frame and quick-twitch athleticism to stick to receivers and make plays on the ball. Stout has studied what gave Williams so much success in the slot, with ESPN's Nick Wagoner reporting that 'Stout liked watching Williams so much he reached out to him during OTAs. The pair struck up a relationship and Williams sent Stout some cut ups to watch in his down time.' The nickel spot was an open battle entering training camp, with Stout getting closer and closer to locking down the starting job with each practice. Watching extra film and putting in extra work on the field and in the facility has helped to build trust with the coaching staff, as well as sharpen his skills during practice. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been impressed with how the rookie has begun his time in the NFL, with his vision of Stout taking control of the slot slowly seeming to come true. '[Stout's] made of the right stuff,' Shanahan said. '… He's one of the bigger competitors I've seen coming in as a rookie. Every day he's doing everything he can on and off the field, and that's why he's passing a lot of guys up.'
