NFL dream comes true: San Francisco 49ers draft Anderson graduate Jarrett Kingston

Jarrett Kingston of Anderson had a childhood dream come true last week.

The offensive lineman and senior at the University of Southern California got the call from San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch.

“We’re going to make a kid from Redding, California a 49er,” Lynch said on the recorded line.

It's official. The 49ers drafted the Anderson Union High School graduate, according to a team announcement posted Saturday, April 27. Kingston was selected as San Francisco’s 215th overall pick during the sixth round of the National Football League draft.

Kingston hadn't heard anything from the team since he spoke with scouts some time ago, he said in a press conference.

“We’re pumped to get you here, man. I know it’s been a long wait, but you...can celebrate now. You’re in a good spot,” coach Kyle Shanahan said on the call.

49ers NFL franchise CEO Jed York told Kingston the team’s coaches “love everything about” him and are eager to get him to the Bay Area.

Eight-year-old Anderson kid's football dream leads to NFL

Joining the NFL team is the next step in a dream Kingston nurtured since he was in elementary school.

Kingston grew up a Rams fan, a passion shared with him by his Los Angeles family, he said in the press conference, posted by the 49ers on YouTube.

While he's been a 49ers fan, too, he's also a Packer Backer, having followed Green Bay's Clay Matthews' career since the linebacker was at USC, Kingston said.

He and his "whole family are USC fans," a factor in his choice to transfer to USC his senior year, Kingston said.

While playing for Anderson, Kingston attracted his own fans — and offers from a barrage of college coaches in autumn 2017.

He signed with Washington State where he played from 2018 to 2022 before transferring to play for the Trojans, adorning cardinal and gold.

Getting the offer to play for the Cougars with a full scholarship was “a dream come true," Kingston told the Record Searchlight in 2018. "I've been dreaming about this since I was 8 years old. It's what I've put my dedication toward."

More: How Jarrett Kingston turned talent into a full-ride scholarship from Washington State

The 6-foot-5 Anderson senior weighed 260 pounds at that time, according to the high school.

By his junior year in 2022, the then 302-pound offensive lineman had played 37 games for the Cougars, with 26 starts, according to Washington State's athletics page, and was named 2022 All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention.

Kingston played 12 games for USC in 2023, with one fumble recovery, according to the 49ers draft sheet.

Opportunities to play different positions ― tight end and defensive positions — made him a stronger athlete, Kingston said.

That versatility could help him make the final roster.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: 49ers draft Anderson High School graduate Jarrett Kingston to NFL