49ers coach reveals what was so impressive about hidden gem they are poised to bring back

The most unexpected name on the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster on Tuesday was that of defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, who was one of several hidden gems to make the cut.

Okuayinonu was soon waived by the 49ers as they brought back three players who had been left off the first edition of the 53, signing tight end Eric Saubert, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and offensive lineman Ben Bartch.

An undrafted free agent out of Maryland originally signed by the Tennessee Titans in 2022, Okuayinonu was expected to be re-signed to the San Francisco practice squad.

However, the 49ers confirmed on Thursday that wide receiver Terrace Marshall and running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn had taken the final two places on the practice squad.

But The Athletic's David Lombardi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the 49ers are still set to bring back Okuayinonu, although it is not clear what the corresponding move will be.

Okuayinonu had a sack late in the final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on which he demonstrated an impressive get-off and the ability to convert speed to power. When asked what had impressed the 49ers about this relative unknown to the point where they felt compelled to keep him around, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen pointed to the explosiveness that was evident on his sack.

"He flashed, he came to us late, just the way that he explodes," said Sorensen on Thursday.

"He's still young in our system, so we just saw some flashes and then it started to apply. It stinks he had the setback with the hamstring, so we wanted to see some more game situations with him and more practices because I think you need that just to gain more information and just for him to get better. Just like seeing upside with him and what's in him, we think he can be a good player."

With the 49ers lacking depth at edge, especially with Yetur Gross-Matos nursing a knee injury, it will be interesting to see if Okuayinonu is brought back as a member of the 53 or if he replaces someone on the practice squad.

Either way, it's clear the 49ers believe he can eventually develop into a valuable member of their edge rotation. Should he continue to display the kind of explosiveness that caught their eye during training camp, Okuayinonu could be thrown into the fray sooner rather than later.

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