Bay Area Homecoming: 49ers Add Former SJSU Star Viliami Fehoko to Interior Front

While edge rusher health dominates headlines around San Francisco 49ers training camp, specifically Nick Bosa’s practice absences and Mykel Williams’ questionable Week 1 timeline, the interior defensive line projects as a major point of stability.

With starting tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Alfred Collins anchoring the defensive front, general manager John Lynch quietly made a low risk, high upside addition by signing former San Jose State standout Viliami Fehoko.

The 26 year old defensive lineman enters Santa Clara as a familiar face to local football fans. A Bay Area native, Fehoko starred at San Jose State from 2018 to 2022, terrorizing Mountain West offenses to the tune of 23.0 career sacks and 46.0 tackles for loss.

Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Fehoko’s pro career has yet to fully take off due to rotational numbers and injuries, leaving him waiting for his official regular season NFL debut.

In a fun family twist, Fehoko is the second cousin of Tampa Bay Buccaneers star defensive tackle Vita Vea, whom many 49ers fans briefly hoped San Francisco might acquire earlier this offseason before Vea signed an extension with Tampa Bay.

Fehoko’s calling card during his collegiate career was his ability to align across multiple defensive techniques, shifting smoothly between defensive end, interior tackle, and stand up edge rusher.

While NFL teams have primarily viewed him as an interior tackle, his frame and movement skills give defensive coordinator Raheem Morris an intriguing puzzle piece. Much like rookie fifth round pick Jaden Dugger, a player who has moved between safety, linebacker, and edge rusher during camp, Fehoko offers the positional flexibility that San Francisco values along its front seven.

While Fehoko brings local ties and a proven collegiate track record, earning a spot on the 53 man roster or on the game day 48 will require separating himself from a crowded interior group.

Fehoko is competing directly against interior depth candidates including C.J. West, Sebastian Valdez, Gracen Halton, and Evan Anderson. Halton has emerged as one of the breakout stars of August, making a strong case for rotational snaps behind Odighizuwa and Collins. Though Fehoko may begin his 49ers tenure as depth or practice squad insurance, his local roots, versatility, and collegiate motor make him a low cost flier with real developmental upside for San Francisco's defensive front.