As the 2026 NFL Calendar is set to begin next week, the 49ers are making a coaching promotion.
The San Francisco 49ers are continuing to reshape their coaching staff for the 2026 season, and one rising assistant is earning a bigger opportunity.
According to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, the team is promoting Cameron Clemmons from assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach, a move that highlights the organization’s confidence in the young coach’s development.
Clemmons’ promotion comes at an interesting moment in his career. Recently, he interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their offensive line coach position, signaling that other teams around the league have taken notice of his coaching abilities.
Rather than risk losing him, the 49ers chose to elevate Clemmons internally, giving him a chance to lead his own position group for the first time in San Francisco.
The move also marks a shift in Clemmons' responsibilities, who has spent most of his coaching career working with offensive linemen.
He spent the past two seasons as the 49ers’ assistant offensive line coach after holding the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2020 through 2023.
During that stretch, he built a reputation as a detail-oriented coach who connects well with players and helps develop young talent.
Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, Clemmons had a strong college football background.
A former offensive lineman at Western Kentucky from 2010 to 2014, he played five seasons with the program before briefly pursuing a professional career.
His transition into coaching began shortly after, when he joined Eastern Kentucky as an offensive intern in 2015.
That opportunity led to a key step in his development when he joined the University of Tennessee staff.
Clemmons worked as a graduate assistant before eventually being promoted to an offensive quality control analyst.
He remained with the Volunteers from 2016 through 2019, gaining valuable experience working within a high-level collegiate program before making the jump to the NFL.
Now, Clemmons will take over a tight ends room that could face some early adversity in 2026.
Star tight end George Kittle is currently recovering from a torn Achilles injury, which could sideline him for the start of the upcoming season.
His recovery timeline will be closely monitored as the 49ers prepare for training camp.
In the meantime, Clemmons will work with a group that includes Luke Farrell and Brayden Willis, while Hayden Rucci remains with the organization on a reserve/futures contract.
The unit may need to shoulder additional responsibility early in the year if Kittle is not ready for Week 1.
For the 49ers, the promotion reflects their commitment to developing coaches from within while maintaining staff continuity.
For Clemmons, it represents another step in a coaching journey that has moved quickly since his early days as an intern.
If his trajectory continues at this pace, this promotion may be only the beginning of a much larger coaching career.