De’Zhaun Stribling spent the preseason making a name for himself. His new jersey number made sure somebody else’s name came along for the ride.
The San Francisco 49ers rookie switched from No. 15 to No. 7 after the club finalized its initial roster, taking the number previously worn this summer by Demarcus Robinson before Robinson moved to No. 11.
Under normal circumstances, that is routine August housekeeping. This particular No. 7, though, already had an internet backstory.
De’Zhaun Stribling’s No. 7 Change Revives Daejon Love Joke
Daejon Love, the 35-year-old man federally charged in an alleged $1.3 million fraud scheme, stands accused of posing as a 49ers player while approaching women online. In a video tied to his fabricated NFL persona, Love claimed he would play wide receiver for San Francisco and wear No. 7.
So when Stribling officially inherited that number, fans immediately connected the dots.
“Perfect time to make the switch, jersey sales about to go up 📈😂,” one fan wrote in an X post.
Perfect time to make the switch, jersey sales about to go up 📈 😂
— Jamal (@jcobb_) August 31, 2026
Another user wondered whether Stribling had unintentionally created material that will follow him all season.
“I have no idea why Stribling would set himself up for this video to get posted every time he had a bad game😭😭,” the fan wrote in an X response.
I have no idea why Stribling would set himself up for this video to get posted every time he had a bad game😭😭 https://t.co/b2zVv35CcB pic.twitter.com/F0qELdhSUw
— Akash (@YZR_Fantasy) August 31, 2026
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“The memes will write themselves whenever he has a bad game,” another user added in a separate post.
One final reaction imagined Love learning the news from federal custody: “Love Rolling in his jail cell after hearing this 💀,” the fan wrote in an X reply.
Love Rolling in his jail cell after hearing this 💀 https://t.co/bWI47JcslX
— A̳A̳r̳o̳n̳┆✞︎ `³⁰☄️ (@Reigns_AAronn) August 31, 2026
The jokes are rooted in a serious federal case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon says Love and Taylor Jamie Chan were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud after allegedly taking about $1.3 million from at least 26 women. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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De’Zhaun Stribling Has More Important Reasons To Be Noticed
Stribling did not need the strangest NFL story of the week to generate attention.
San Francisco selected the former Mississippi receiver No. 33 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he then caught 11 passes for 109 yards across his first two preseason games. His seven catches for 63 yards against Tennessee made him the game’s leading receiver in his NFL exhibition debut.
The performance helped Stribling secure a spot on the 49ers’ initial roster, and the team’s current roster page now lists him as No. 7.
That number previously belonged to Robinson during the offseason, while Colin Kaepernick remains its most famous modern owner in San Francisco. Love, of course, never actually held it.
If Stribling becomes a rookie breakout, the joke may disappear quickly. If he drops a pass, fans have already made it clear which video is headed straight for the replies.
