How Sam Okuayinonu Has Improved So Quickly for the 49ers

Who is this guy?

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu (91) after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA -- Who is this guy?

Suddenly, the 49ers' second-best pass rusher after Nick Bosa is someone named Sam Okuayinonu. He started the season on the practice squad and recently he has become the 49ers' best interior pass rusher. And he never has rushed from the inside before. He's new to the position and relatively new to football. And he's one of the 49ers' most intriguing players.

Here's what defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said about Okuayinonu on Thursday courtesy of the 49ers p.r. department.

Q: DL Sam Okuayinonu, is he, would you say you are surprised that he’s been this good?

SORENSEN: “Saw the promise of what was in his body kind of in the offseason and how he gets off and stuff, and then you were hoping to see the physicality in training camp, then you did, then he had the injury. So it was, we had the expectations and the hopes. It's just now he's done it a little bit, so we want to see him keep doing it. That's the challenge for him is, okay, you've done a couple things, but we need to see it consistently. And then seeing the growth of how he's moved inside and been an interior guy as well in some of those pass-rush situations has been really cool because he hasn't played a ton of football. He is still fairly new to it, but he cares a lot and he's an explosive dude that plays physical and loves ball. So it's been good so far.”

Q: I ask you, because you know his background in being late to football. Are there things, could you say he's still raw in some ways or is there more potential just because of his relative inexperience?

SORENSEN: “Yeah, I think so. Of course. Especially since he'd never really worked inside and how he picks stuff up quick. But [defensive line coach Kris] Kocurek coaches him hard and he likes that, most of our guys do. They're receptive to it and those are the guys that can accelerate when they take all the coaching and then they apply it. That's something that he's done a good job with and that he can handle is when he gets coached he applies it and then plays fast. He's a smart guy, so he’s picked it up quick. That's the good thing about it. It makes sense to him.”

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