Regardless of how well Colton McKivitz plays in his first season as the 49ers' starting right tackle, offensive line depth is going to be an area of need for San Francisco in the 2024 draft.

The Niners have a distinct lack of compelling options among their reserves in the trenches and, at tackle, they could benefit from having a young high draft pick on their roster who could eventually take over from left tackle Trent Williams when the All-Pro decides to call it a career.

Therefore the 49ers scouts should have a close eye on BYU's meeting with SEC opposition on Saturday.

Each week during the college football season, we'll take a look at one player in action who should be on the 49ers' radar. This week is the turn of BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia

Height: 6ft 6in

Weight: 325 pounds

Class: Sophomore

BYU landed a true blue-chip prospect when Suamataia transferred from Oregon to join the Cougars before the 2022 season.

Suamataia had been recruited by a host of college football powerhouses including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC.

He played only one game for Oregon in a redshirt 2021 season but demonstrated why he was a five-star and consensus top-40 recruit in his first year at BYU.

Indeed, Suamataia, a cousin of Penei and Noah Sewell, was excellent in 2022. He did not allow a sack in 361 pass block snaps in BYU's final season as an independent.

Now with the Cougars in the Big 12, he gets a chance to test himself against sterner competition and vindicate his place on the Outland Trophy watch list and the preseason All-Big 12 team.

How he fits with the 49ers

Ranked third on Bruce Feldman's Freaks list for The Athletic, Suamataia has a mix of size and athleticism that would make him an excellent fit for a 49er offense that leans on a mix of zone and gap scheme runs.

He has no problem getting to the second level and, though there are some technique concerns, 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster would likely be delighted to get such a specimen to mold into an NFL starting tackle.

The Niners have been consistently linked with Suamataia in early mock drafts, and it is a connection that makes a lot of sense.

Round Estimation

Suamataia is ranked 32nd on Dane Brugler's Top 50 big board for The Athletic. 

So going off that rating, he entered his sophomore season as a fringe first-round prospect.

The 49ers will hope to be picking 32nd in the first round in 2024, and earning that selection by winning the Super Bowl and then selecting Suamataia would perhaps represent the ideal succession plan at left tackle for San Francisco.

Watch

Arkansas vs. BYU – Saturday Sept. 16 at 7.30 p.m. ET – Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas – ESPN 2

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