The San Francisco 49ers officially welcomed the team's 2026 rookie class to Levi's® Stadium on Thursday as rookie minicamp got underway in Santa Clara. Day 1 focused primarily on onboarding activities, including physicals, meetings, and equipment fittings, before players begin on-field workouts Friday.

For many of the rookies, the first day inside 49ers headquarters marked the beginning of a lifelong dream.

"Whenever I touch the field, it's a different feeling," rookie defensive lineman Romello Height said when describing his love for the game. "It's where I can show how much I love football. My motor, it's something I've always had since middle school. It carried on throughout college and hopefully I can keep the same motor here."

Height said he's especially looking forward to learning from veterans like Nick Bosa as he begins his NFL journey.

"Picking his brain and just seeing how he handles things," Height said. "His film study, when going up against tackles is is going to be a huge deal. Doing things like that and just taking it day by, stacking days and that'll tell where I'll be at."

Linebacker Jaden Dugger also spoke about the opportunity to learn from some of the league's best, including Fred Warner and linebackers coach K.J. Wright.

"I'm always studying the best," Dugger said. "Getting to be around him (Warner) now every day, I'm get to learn from him."

Dugger added that the rookie class has already started building chemistry after connecting throughout the pre-draft process and seeing one another during their travels to the Bay Area.

"We talked a lot and saw each other in the airport," Dugger said. "It was good to catch up."

Offensive lineman Carver Willis shared that his focus entering rookie minicamp is to contribute in any way possible. Willis looks to carry that mindset into the start of his first NFL season.

"I want to contribute in the highest capacity possible," Willis said. "Whatever role the coaches have me in, to do the best at that is all I'm going to ask of myself. Show up every day, be the same person. We had a saying up at U-Dub (University of Washington) to invest unconditionally into the team. That's really all I'm about. Show up, be the best I can be every day, and do whatever is asked of me."

The 49ers rookie class will continue minicamp with practice beginning on Friday at the SAP Performance Facility as first-year players take the field together for the first time in red and gold.