Kansas football alum applauded by future HOFer for NFL rookie year success

The Kansas football program had two players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. One of those men was Dominick Puni, who spent his last two collegiate seasons at Kansas with head coach Lance Leipold.

While Jayhawk fans knew Puni had the tools to be great at the next level when he was drafted No. 86 overall by the San Francisco 49ers, nobody could have foreseen the success he has enjoyed early in his career. He has played every offensive snap this season at right guard, a position he never played in college. Not only is he adjusting to a new position, but a future Hall of Fame OL called him a ‘godsend’ for the 49ers in the trenches:

49ers OL Trent Williams applauds Dominick Puni for strong start

"It's amazing. I didn't know he didn't play right guard in college, so I just learned something. Which is crazy, because he literally has the makings of an Pro Bowl/All-Pro player at that position. So, like I said, he's a godsend. He's a really, really good kid. Really, really professional. He gained his teammates' respect just by the way he carried himself."

- Trent Williams

Williams, 36, might be the best lineman the NFL has seen across the past decade or so. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro remains one of the beat players in the league year in and year out. To hear him praising Puni this highly as a rookie should be quite a confidence boost for the Missouri native.

Puni spent four years at the University of Central Missouri, which is a Division II school, before transferring to Kansas ahead of the 2022 season. He was the team’s starting left guard until Earl Bostick Jr. graduated, and he moved to left tackle last year when the Jayhawks had a magical 9-4 season. He was even better playing on the outside, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors at the end of the campaign.

During his KU tenure, Puni never allowed a sack across 784 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He has continued that trend in the pros, as he has not yielded a sack or QB hit through six games in San Francisco and is responsible for 11 QB pressures.

Many people in San Francisco’s organization believe Puni is destined for greatness. He might already be Kansas football’s most talented NFL alum as a first-year player. His 78.3 PFF grade ranks second in the league among rookie OL.

The transition to right guard has been seamless and he has been a pillar of the 49ers run and pass-blocking unit. If a player of Williams’ caliber believes Puni can take that next step, the sky is the limit for the former Kansas Jayhawk.