Former Sacramento State quarterback Jeff Fleming will be one of the quarterbacks on hand for the 49ers rookie minicamp that begins Friday, the school confirmed today. Fleming, who started seven games last season, including an overtime win over Oregon State in Corvallis, is one of several players who will take part on a tryout basis.
The team did not draft a quarterback or sign a rookie following the draft. The upcoming camp is for rookies, but non rookies are able to participate on a tryout basis. Another quarterback will be Tavita Pritchard, who was Jim Harbaugh's quarterback at Stanford before Andrew Luck took over the job in 2009. Pritchard also took part in a 49ers minicamp in 2010, and he obviously is familiar with Harbaugh and the 49ers offense.
Another player trying out has a familiar surname. Andrew Iupati, who played defensive tackle at Division II Humboldt State and who figures to be a nose tackle this weekend, will be on hand, agent Ryan Tollner said. Iupati began playing at Oregon before transferring to Humboldt State.
Andrew, of course, is the younger brother of 49ers left guard Mike Iupati. Andrew has his brother's girth - he's about 310 pounds - but not his height. Little brother measures up at about six feet while Mike is 6-5. Mike Iupati is not allowed to participate in the weekend session but no doubt he will be observing at some point.
Fleming, meanwhile, follows in the footsteps of another Sacramento State quarterback, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who took part in 49ers training camp last year and who initially made the practice squad. Harbaugh faced both quarterbacks during a Stanford-Sacramento State game in the 2010 opener. Bethel-Thompson started the game, got hurt and Fleming took over in what eventually became a 52-17 Stanford win.
Fleming's biggest game might have been the 29-28 win over Oregon State last year. He was 22-25 for 257 yards and threw three touchdowns and no interceptions. Fleming is 6-4, 195 pounds and is a good athlete. He scored five rushing touchdowns last season and ran his 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds.
Most of the teams that held rookie camps last weekend added tryout players to the mix. Some of them ended up later signing those players at the expense of undrafted free agents they had signed just days earlier.
-- Matt Barrows
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