SANTA CLARA — Solely 20 months in the past, Cameron Latu had but to attain a landing in his Alabama profession. He was comparatively new on the scene, not less than as a good finish, having transformed from outdoors linebacker after his freshman 12 months.
Then he scored two touchdowns of their 2021 season-opening win over Miami.
“Earlier than (the 2020) season, I mentioned, ‘You recognize, I believe you might have lots higher shot to be a good finish. You bought good palms, you bought nice measurement, you’re a superb athlete.’ And he purchased into it,” Alabama coach Nick Saban mentioned after that win.
The 49ers purchased into it, too. They used a third-round decide (No. 101) to draft Latu, the ninth tight finish chosen.
“He’s a flexible participant in that he’s good in each the run and the go,” basic supervisor John Lynch mentioned, “however he went to ‘Bama as a linebacker and I believe he performs like that. He’s an aggressive participant.”
No less than two 49ers received’t be strangers to Cameron Latu when he reveals up for rookie minicamp this week.
One is security Talanoa Hufanga, who, like Latu, is from Tongan ancestry and performed in opposition to him in Hawaii’s 2018 Polynesian Bowl for highschool all-stars.
The opposite is George Kittle, who has been studied and modeled by Latu, particularly over his previous two seasons at Alabama.
Thoughts you, Latu received’t be on the sphere as them till later this month within the offseason program. However rookie minicamp Friday and Saturday permits him and different newcomers to get onboarded to the 49ers’ methods, earlier than becoming a member of the veterans subsequent week within the offseason program.
“He'll intrigue the (heck) out of you in rookie minicamp, OTAs and coaching camp,” former 49ers basic supervisor Scot McCloughan, now a contract guide, informed The Athletic. “Since you’re going to see a number of the athleticism. It’s fairly freakin’ cool. … That’s going to finish up being a hell of a decide.”
Latu (6-foot-5, 244 kilos) spent his draft day with household in Dallas when the 49ers referred to as, and when Hufanga did, too.
“I used to be on the cellphone with Talanoa proper after I acquired drafted, so it's loopy,” Latu informed reporters on draft day. “Me and him are going to show up, for certain, and he’s going to make me higher on daily basis.”
Kittle’s recreation movie has helped Latu enhance as a good finish, and that goes past the 12 landing catches he had for the Crimson Tide the previous two years after no receptions in his earlier three years in this system.
“The important thing elements of George Kittle’s blocking and his method, I discovered lots from him in that a part of the sport,” Latu mentioned. “Then you definitely go to the passing recreation and he does the identical factor simply as nicely, (yards) after the catch.
“I simply know they actually use the tight finish heavy and I’m excited to go be taught underneath that offense.”
Latu cut up time between tight finish and defensive finish as an Olympus Excessive College star within the Salt Lake Metropolis suburb of Holladay. He initially dedicated to BYU, then flipped to Alabama, and after redshirting in 2018, he made a profession change. That conversion from outdoors linebacker additionally got here on the suggestion of then-Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian; Latu’s twin brother, Nathan, is a defensive finish at Oklahoma State.
“I do know Kyle (Shanahan) acquired to speak to Sark over at Texas who had coached him proper when he was transitioning over to the tight finish place and acquired some data,” Lynch added. “We appreciated the skillset and we appreciated the mentality.”
Latu joins a good finish unit that has three incumbents – Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley – in addition to Brayden Willis, a 6-4, 290-pounder from Oklahoma who was drafted No. 240 total.
Final summer time, Latu was certainly one of three collegiate tight ends to take part in Tight Finish College that's co-hosted by Kittle in Nashville.
Latu had a landing amongst 5 catches in Alabama’s Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State, capping a last season which opened with him battling a knee concern in camp.
“I believe I’m a balanced tight finish. I believe I can do all of it,” Latu mentioned. “You possibly can put me in any place and I believe I could possibly be wonderful at it. I've each place to enhance in each passing and run blocking, however that’s simply technical issues that I can work on.”
Shanahan concurred, saying: “He can get lots higher within the run recreation and the go recreation. It’s arduous to say whether or not he’s a run blocker or a pass-game man. We see this man as each and he can speed up at each, and that’s vital to us in all our tight ends.”