A well-traveled defensive back who started at three different college programs before landing a three-year deal with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent.
Derrick Canteen took a winding path through Georgia Southern, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati before signing with the 49ers after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Killeen, Texas native brings versatility across cornerback and safety, giving San Francisco depth options in its secondary.
Path to the league
Canteen began his college career at Georgia Southern, where he started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and earned Freshman All-American recognition. He transferred to Virginia Tech in 2023 before finishing his career at Cincinnati in 2024, going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
At Virginia Tech, Canteen started three of 13 games and recorded 43 tackles, an interception and five pass breakups. He capped his college career at Cincinnati as a team captain, starting all 12 games at safety in 2024.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Cincinnati in 2024, Canteen logged 44 tackles, three tackles for loss and an interception across 12 starts. The San Francisco 49ers signed him to a three-year contract on May 13, 2025, and he later received a reserve/futures contract in January 2026 as he worked to earn a spot in the 49ers' secondary rotation.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Derrick Canteen
- ESPN: Derrick Canteen
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Cincinnati
- Hometown
- Evans, GA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
