The Tennessee Titans have added another name to a cornerback group that needs bodies, signing former Cincinnati Bearcats defensive back Derrick Canteen.
Canteen most recently played for Cincinnati in 2024, where he also served as a team captain. Before that, his college path took him from Georgia Southern to Virginia Tech and then to Cincinnati.
At Georgia Southern from 2020-2022, he put together the kind of season that gets noticed fast: freshman All-American honors in 2020 and first-team All-Sun Belt recognition that same year. He also stuffed the stat sheet in 2020 with 48 tackles, 34 solo tackles, 9 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 6 interceptions, FBS-leading stats.
His final season at Cincinnati was solid as well. Canteen finished with 44 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.
That college production earned him a chance with the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 as an undrafted free agent. He opened the season on the 53-man roster, then was waived and spent the rest of the year on the practice squad.
Now he lands in Tennessee, where the connection is easy to see. Former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is now the Titans’ head coach, and the move gives Canteen another crack at making a 53-man roster, with a possible path to playing time.
The opportunity is there because the Titans are short on corners. Their listed roster includes nine at the position: Keydrain Calligan, Cor'Dale Flott, Mario Goodrich, Marcus Harris, Jalen McMurray, Micah Robinson, Alontae Taylor, Joshua Williams, and now Canteen.
How much of a role he can carve out will become clearer once the preseason starts, and Tennessee’s first game comes on August 13th against the 49ers. Former Bearcat Josiah Deguara will also be in that game, but he’ll be on San Francisco’s side.
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