HS coach lauds 49ers draft pick Stribling. ‘Tough and he does not back down’
Many people were surprised when the San Francisco 49ers used their second round 2026 NFL Draft choice on Friday to select Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.
Even Stribling’s coach at Kapolei High School in Hawaii, Darren Hernandez, didn’t see it coming.
In a phone interview Friday evening, not long after Stribling was selected 33rd overall, Hernandez said he’d had a Zoom session before the draft with the Los Angeles Rams and that the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers had also called him or sent letters.
But Hernandez hadn’t had any pre-draft contact with the 49ers. “I guess they kept things close to the vest,” Hernandez said.
All the same, Hernandez knows what the 49ers are getting in Stribling, who was one of three selections the 49ers made Friday during the second and third rounds of the draft after trading down during Thursday’s first round. The draft will continue Saturday, with the 49ers currently set to have five picks over the final four rounds.
No. 33 pick: De’Zhaun Stribling, wide receiver, Ole Miss
Prior to the second round on Friday, the 49ers flirted with trading the No. 33 pick, which was the first of the day. And while it wasn’t a complete shock they would draft a wide receiver, some mock drafts had them opting for Washington’s Denzel Boston at the position.
Hernandez was used to having his perspective changed on Stribling, though. He remembered what Stribling was like as a freshman at Kapolei: unfocused, unserious and immature. Things changed the following year.
“As a sophomore this light went on where he just absolutely became this driven young man who just takes no prisoners in his approach to sports,” Hernandez said.
Stribling became a three-sport star in high school — a leading rebounder for the basketball team and competing in long, triple and high jump on the track and field team.
After high school, Stribling was set to play for Nick Rolovich at University of Hawaii. Hernandez said that after Rolovich went to Washington State, Stribling decided to play there as well.
Stribling transferred to Oklahoma State after Rolovich was fired from Washington State following his refusal to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Following two seasons with Oklahoma State, Stribling played his final year at Ole Miss, where he had 55 receptions, 811 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Hernandez said that Stribling has an infectious smile and personality that draws people to him. Stribling did his virtual press conference for the 49ers from Hawaii, telling reporters that he was “very excited to be here, very excited to come in and work.” Hernandez noted that Stribling had been by his high school this week and worked out and spoke with the boys.
In general, though, Stribling’s warmth stops on game day. “He’s a mellow dude and then once he gets the pads on, he plays like a real animal,” Hernandez said. “He’s tough, and he does not back down from anybody.”
Hernandez sees Stribling fitting in on the 49ers, noting that his 4.36-second 40-yard dash time compared favorably with other members of the receiving corps. “He’s a speed guy,” Hernandez said. “He can block. He can do it all.”
During a media session Friday evening, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made note of Stribling’s blocking abilities as well. He noted that Jauan Jennings, who could depart as a free agent, has also been a capable blocker.
“We have a hole without that,” Shanahan told reporters. “So this guy definitely can fill that.”
No. 70 pick: Romello Height, edge rusher, Texas Tech
While many onlookers had little certainty about who the 49ers would select Friday, Romello Height had a feeling throughout the week that he was coming to San Francisco.
While he wasn’t sure if it would be the Indianapolis Colts or San Francisco drafting him, as he told reporters during his introductory press conference Friday, he’d had a dream with 49ers team colors. He was thankful that San Francisco followed through on picking him.
“Look at God,” said Height, who emphasized his religious faith during the call with reporters.
Height, who played for four colleges, could be bringing versatility to a 49ers defense. While he was described in predraft coverage as a defensive lineman, he said during the call with reporters that he was also capable of playing the mike or outside linebacker positions.
“I see myself putting on some pounds,” Height said.
He also noted that he was a cousin of late Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, with Height telling reporters that he “looked up to him like no other.” Thomas died in 2021 at age 33.
Height lasted until the 70th pick of the draft, with 49ers general manager John Lynch telling reporters Friday evening that even when the team traded down just before from the 58th pick, they hadn’t settled on Height. But he also praised Height.
“We feel like Romello is at the top of this draft in terms of the effort, the tenacity, the relentlessness with which he plays,” Lynch said.
No. 90 pick: Kaelon Black, running back, Indiana
With the sheer number of players who are chosen in the NFL draft or are signed as undrafted free agents each year, perhaps not every player will get loads of attention from teams.
One player who didn’t have this experience: new 49ers running back, Kaelon Black. Asked during his introductory press conference how many times he’d been called or texted by Robert Turner Jr., San Francisco’s longtime running backs coach, Black replied with a laugh, “I can’t even put a number to it.”
After trading down out of the first round through two trades on Thursday and securing a third round selection in one of the deals, the 49ers used the pick on Black. He ran for 1,040 yards this past season in helping Indiana win a national championship.
“His film speaks for itself,” Lynch told reporters Friday evening. “Really hard-running kid.”
Lynch said that Black was Turner’s type of player.
Black grew up in Virginia and spent four years at James Madison University before playing for Indiana his final two seasons. With the 49ers, Black joins a crowded running back room with an uncertain backup situation for star Christian McCaffrey. Not that Black minds any of that, though.
“I just feel like being under a guy like him is going to be special,” Black said.
