Alabama TE Cameron Latu goes No. 101 to 49ers in third round
Former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu has been drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round (No. 101 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. That means the Salt Lake City, Utah native will be heading back out West to continue his playing career after a success five seasons in Tuscaloosa.
With this selection, Alabama has now seen eight of its players taken during the draft. He joins quarterback Bryce Young (No. 1), edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (No. 3), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12), defensive back Brian Branch (No. 45), offensive lineman Tyler Steen (No. 65), defensive lineman Byron Young (No. 70) and safety Jordan Battle.
It was nice to see Latu land late on Day 2. Some had wondered if he’d be taken sometime on Day 3, but his upside aligns more with a third-round selection. Plus, he’s going to an offense in San Francisco that understands how to properly utilize its tight ends.
The team’s longtime starter — George Kittle — has averaged 65.8 receptions, 875.7 receiving yards and 5.2 touchdowns per season over his six-year career. That includes two 1,000-yard seasons (2018-19) and a 900-yard season (2021). He gets banged up from time-to-time, and he’s closing in on 30 years old. So, Latu will have the perfect opportunity to learn from him before hopefully earning his way into a starting job.
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Latu began his career as an outside linebacker at Alabama. After one season, he began making the transition to tight end. It took him a couple of years to finally get on the field, but he was productive in his two seasons as the starter. Between 2021-22, the 6-foot-4, 242-pounder turned his 56 catches into 787 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns.
His eight receiving scores in 2021 still sit atop the program record books for a tight end.
Coming out of Olympus High School in Utah back in 2018, Latu was rated as a four-star recruit. He also checked in as the No. 129 player nationally, No. 8 edge rusher and No. 3 player from the state of Utah, according to the 2018 On3 Industry Rankings.
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