Rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling records 63 yards in 49ers preseason debut

San Francisco rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling logged seven receptions on eight targets for 63 yards in his preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium on Thursday. The Ole Miss transfer secured an 11-yard sideline catch that resulted in a first down, then maneuvered past a defender to gain additional yardage.

"Just having sideline awareness and seeing where I was at, and trying to turn back inside to get extra yards," Stribling said after the 19-13 loss.

Stribling missed several training-camp sessions due to hamstring tightness but returned to practice shortly before the exhibition game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted improvement, saying the rookie appeared more comfortable after the first drive and that his hands looked good.

"It seemed good. We'll see when we watch the film. I thought he struggled a little bit on the first drive, but I think he got three drives after that and seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him. I liked how his hands looked out there, and he played physical," Shanahan said.

Shanahan added that the coaching staff is testing Stribling at multiple offensive positions and emphasized the importance of continued reps.

"He's handling it well. He's going about the right way, and as long as he gets his reps and continues to do what he's been doing, he will be ready for the season," the coach said.

Stribling expressed optimism about his performance and the coaching he is receiving.

"It was fun out there. I'm sure there are a lot of coaching points and things I can clean up and be better on. Just excited to get the coaching and translate it into next week," he said.