Cameron

Latu

In other words, he’s not competing for the No. 2 spot behind George Kittle. Latu was a Day 2 pick last year but ended up missing his entire season with a knee injury. Now 24 and failing to crack the top three at his position, Latu could end up a cut-down casualty.

Latu was a third-round pick of the 49ers in last year’s draft but didn’t see action in the regular season after undergoing knee surgery. In his final two seasons at Alabama, Latu caught 56 passes for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’ll have a chance to compete for the backup role behind George Kittle this offseason.

Latu (6’4/242) spent five seasons at Alabama but didn’t earn significant playing time until 2021. In what amounts to roughly two seasons of production with the Tide, Latu posted a career receiving line of 56-787-12 while averaging an impressive 14.1 YPR. Not a particularly polished run blocker, Latu would benefit from playing in a zone-heavy scheme, as he’s seen nearly twice as many run-blocking opportunities in zone as he has in man. Athletically speaking, Latu tested above the average for a tight end at the NFL Scouting Combine but is slightly undersized. A savvy route runner at times, he does a nice job of using his hands to secure the ball but is unlikely to evolve into a significant receiving threat. He’ll slide in behind George Kittle on the 49ers depth chart at TE.

The former defensive end move to the tight end position and proved to be a good move as he excelled last season for Alabama as finished tied for the second-most receiving touchdowns on the team last season. He certainly helped Bryce Young become a Heisman Trophy winner as he had a 156.3 passer when targeting Latu on intermediate routes last season. With Jahleel Billingsley transferring to Texas, Latu will excel even more at the position and help his stock for the upcoming draft

Alabama may not have gotten the outcome it wanted in the national championship loss to Georgia, but Latu (6'5/247) had a solid day in his own right. Latu led the way in receiving for Alabama, one of quarterback Bryce Young’s favorite targets of the night as he reeled in five receptions for 102 yards with one touchdown.

Latu (6'5/247) has seen his profile rise since the start of spring, as he made multiple highlight reel worthy catches in the A-game at the end of spring practice. With supposed starter Jaleel Billingsley landing in HC Nick Saban’s doghouse, Latu earned the starting nod and thrived, catching touchdowns of nine and 25 yards. A former four-star defensive end recruit, Latu has handled the transition to tight end masterfully and is in line to be a potent piece of the Alabama offensive juggernaut.

Billingsley (6'4/230) found himself in Nick Saban’s doghouse before the start of preseason camp, and he dropped down the depth chart as a result. The redshirt freshman shares the No. 2 line with Major Tennison on the first official depth chart of the season, with Cameron Latu being listed as the starter. In 2020, Billingsley caught 18 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. How many reps he’ll get Saturday afternoon remains to be seen.

Billingsley (6'4/230) was held out of Alabama’s first couple of practices in fall camp, as HC Nick Saban felt that there were some things that the redshirt freshman needed to address. Now back on the practice field, Billingsley has some strides to make if he’s to return to the starting tight end role. When asked about the tight end, Saban spoke about how a player’s status is up to the player and not him. In short, if Billingsley (who Saban didn’t mention by name) wants to get back into the starting lineup, he’ll need to earn the right to do so. Cameron Latu, who was considered to be Billingsley’s backup ahead of fall camp, is a name to keep in mind ahead of Alabama’s season opener against Miami (September 4).

Latu (6'5/247) signed with Alabama as a four-star defensive end in the 2018 class, redshirted his first year on campus and was seeing work at tight end this spring. While that move should not be considered set in cement for good, it sounds like it could end up permanent. Touching on the move, Crimson Tide HC Nick Saban told The Athletic that “I certainly think could develop into being a pretty good player [at tight end].” August camp should give us a better idea of just how permanent this transition might be. Miller Forristall is in line to start at tight end for the coming campaign.

Latu (6'5/247) caught multiple passes at the Alabama spring scrimmage, so it’s likely that he’ll operate as a rotation tight end in the 2019 season as long as his development continues. A former four-star recruit, Latu already has the size of the prototypical tight end, so it’s all about picking up the nuances of the position that tends to be a tough one to learn. Walk-on TE Giles Amos also received reps with the first-team offense as they look to replace NFL-bound TE Irv Smith Jr.