Making the leap: Former Sierra star Aiyuk drafted by the 49ers

Sierra College football coach Ben Noonan always knew former Wolverine receiver Brandon Aiyuk was a special talent. But it was after a Saturday road game at Santa Rosa Junior College, in Noonan's hometown, in 2017 when he discovered Aiyuk's character. In the wake of Noonan's mother's death and in front of friends and family, Aiyuk had what Noonan called one of the most dominant junior college performances he'd seen. Aiyuk caught two touchdown passes, returned a kickoff 76 yards for a score and had 110 punt return yards. He even had two touchdowns on punt returns called back due to penalties. Following the 52-30 Sierra win, Aiyuk made a gesture Noonan cherishes to this day. "He handed me the game ball," Noonan said. "He said, 'This one is for your mom.'" Fast-forward three years to Thursday night, where Aiyuk sat anxiously in his home in Reno, Nevada. That's when the San Francisco 49ers traded up six spots in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Aiyuk out of Arizona State with the 25th overall pick. "I was ecstatic," said Noonan, who was flanked by 6-year-old daughter Adriana and 9-year-old son Benny – Aiyuk's biggest fan. "When they announced the pick, we all jumped off the couch and high-fived." Young Benny has the closet doors in his room painted like a 49er locker room. Benny's locker mates include Nick Bosa, George Kittle and now Aiyuk. "That last spot was going to be for Brandon, no matter where he got drafted," Noonan said. Aiyuk told reporters in a post-draft virtual news conference he had a feeling San Francisco would take him. "When they traded the 13th (pick) away, I believe, I kind of had a strong feeling just with my agent telling me the communication that he had going back and forth," Aiyuk said. "After that, I kind of had a strong feeling that when they traded up, I knew right then and there." Aiyuk took the junior college route to the draft after playing just one year of varsity football at McQueen High School. He became an All-American at Sierra after posting 1,533 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons with the Wolverines. He then transferred to ASU and became one of the Pac-12's best wideouts, tallying 1,666 yards and 11 scores from 2018-19. He was a third-team Associated Press All-American and a first-team all-conference choice in his senior year with the Sun Devils. Aiyuk joins a short list of former Sierra College players chosen in the NFL Draft. Fenuki Tupao was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round in 2009 out of the University of Oregon, Vince Mayle in the fourth round by Cleveland out of Washington State in 2015 and Devante Bond by Tampa Bay in the sixth round in 2016. Aiyuk is the first ex-Wolverine to be taken in the first round since Dan Bunz (Oakmont High School who did not actually play at Sierra but was a student) was selected 24th overall in 1978 – also by San Francisco – out of Long Beach State. Aiyuk said in his news conference he's excited to be a part of a 49ers organization that is fresh off of its seventh Super Bowl appearance. "I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of what I can do as a football player and at the receiver position," he said. "I only played one year as a full-time starter, so I still have a lot to learn. I still have a lot to grow in my game, but I just think that for me, the ceiling is limitless. I don't think there's a ceiling to my game."