For the first time in more than seven months, the San Francisco 49ers will play an actual game of football on Saturday as they welcome the Denver Broncos to Levi's Stadium. Yes, it's only a preseason game, but it's a game nonetheless, and the return of football is always something to celebrate.
For veterans, a preseason opener might not mean much. For rookies, however, it's a little more special, as such a contest marks the first NFL action they'll ever see and the first opportunity to make a name for themselves.
And given the name he's already made for himself in the early weeks of Niners training camp, one can bet rookie cornerback Upton Stout is more than ready to put the league on notice.
Taken by San Francisco late in the third round of this past April's draft with the 100th overall pick, the Western Kentucky alum was the 14th corner selected, which one could easily assume has put a little chip on his shoulder. Yes, he's a small-school guy and just a small guy overall at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, but those are just reasons for the chip to be bigger.
It didn't take long for Stout to start getting first-team reps with Robert Saleh's defense, as he started taking snaps with the starting unit on the second day of mandatory minicamp back in June. And that trend has continued into training camp, and he's been nothing short of spectacular, which the Broncos have already seen up close.
Ahead of their matchup on Saturday night, San Francisco and Denver have held some joint practices this week, and on Thursday, Stout showed why his stock continues to rise among the rookie class.
Lined up against Broncos rookie wideout Troy Franklin on Thursday in one-on-one reps, which are typically geared toward making offensive players look good, by the way, Stout easily got the better of the 6-foot-2 Oregon alum.
Franklin did his best to run an out, but Stout stayed with him the entire time and jumped the route to snag an interception, which wasn't the easiest thing to do seeing as how their feet got tangled. But while Franklin fell to the ground, Stout remained upright just long enough to make the pick.
The rookie Upton Stout showing out 😤 pic.twitter.com/rsFODcjCcr
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 7, 2025
This is just one of many fantastic plays he's made during camp, and Niners fans have to be excited to finally see him in some game situations on Saturday.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch has already put some extra pressure on his young cornerback by comparing him to his former Bucs teammate and Hall of Famer Ronde Barber. Now, it's on Stout to attempt to live up to such a bold comparison. And that journey officially begins on Saturday.
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