49ers sign third-round RB Trey Sermon to rookie deal

The 49ers have signed a key member of their draft class. The team announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed third-round running back Trey Sermon to his rookie contract. Per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, the four-year deal is worth $4.87M.

Sermon spent his first three years of college at Oklahoma, including a breakout 2018 campaign where he finished with 1,128 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. He had a fraction of the carries in 2019, leading to his transfer to Ohio State as a graduate student. During his lone season with the Buckeyes in 2020, Sermon ran for 870 yards and four scores on 116 carries.

The running back improved his draft stock with a standout postseason performance. He had an incredible game against Northwestern during the Big Ten Championship, setting a single-game school record with 331 rushing yards. He added another 254 yards from scrimmage in the Sugar Bowl, but he was knocked out of the National Championship Game after getting injured on the first play.

The 49ers ended up selecting the 22-year-old with the No. 88 pick in this year’s draft. An injury to Jeff Wilson could open some temporary playing time for the rookie, but he’ll likely find himself behind at least veterans Wayne Gallman and Raheem Mostert to start the season.

With the signing, the 49ers have only two unsigned draft picks: quarterback Trey Lance (1.3) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (3.102).