Former Camas High School football star Jack Colletto has joined the San Francisco 49ers.
Colletto, who finished his collegiate career at Oregon State University earlier this year, was not selected in the 2023 National Football League draft, held last month in Kansas City, Missouri, but signed a free-agent contract with the 49ers shortly after the conclusion of the draft on Saturday, April 29.
Colletto broke the news of his signing himself, posting the words “Bang Bang 49er Gang!” on Twitter that night.
“He might have been bypassed in the draft because of the sense that he was jack of all trades and master of none (in college),” Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in a story published Tuesday, May 2. “After he wasn’t drafted, Colletto was free to sign with any team. (49ers) head coach Kyle Shanahan prizes versatility. And he’ll try to see whether he can find a fit for Colletto. … First, however, he’ll need to make the team.”
Colletto played quarterback for Camas High from 2013-16. In 2016, as a senior, Colletto led the Papermakers to a 4A state championship, throwing for 2,846 yards and 27 touchdowns and running for 1,253 yards and 21 scores. He was named the Seattle Times Player of the Year, Washington state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and 4A Greater St. Helens League player of the year.
After graduating from Camas High, Colletto played one season at Arizona Western College, a community college in Yuma, Arizona, then transferred to Oregon State University, where played four four seasons and part of a fifth as a multi-positional player, carving out significant roles on both offense and defense.
Colletto spent the 2018 season mostly as the Beavers’ backup quarterback. He made one start, rushing for two touchdowns in an overtime win at Colorado. The following spring, Colletto moved to linebacker, playing in four games at the start of the 2019 season before deciding to take a redshirt season.
During the abbreviated COVID season of 2020, Colletto registered 14 tackles on defense and scored two rushing touchdowns on offense. In 2021, his redshirt junior season, he scored eight touchdowns as a linebacker, fullback and special teams performer.
This past season, he was selected as the winner of the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football, completing both of his pass attempts for 53 yards, rushing for 103 yards and six touchdowns, catching three passes for 46 yards, recording 27 tackles and recovering one fumble.
“I believe with creative minds, (my versatility) definitely sparks interest,” Colletto told The Columbian, the Post-Record’s sister publication, before the start of the NFL Draft. “I think it allows them to be like, ‘OK, well, what can we do with this guy and how can he add value to the team?’ And the fact is I can do a lot of things. I believe it makes for a safe pick because I can do a bunch and fill a lot of holes.”
The 49ers have listed Colletto as a fullback on their roster, according to Branch.
“There may not have been a more versatile prospect in this year’s draft than Colletto,” Kyle Madson of Yahoo! Sports wrote. “If any team is gonna find a role for a do-everything player like Colletto, it’s the one coached by Kyle Shanahan.”
The 49ers won the NFC West division championship in 2022 with a 13-4 record, four games ahead of the second-place Seattle Seahawks. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
