SANTA CLARA – Sam Okuayinonu, unlike most if not all of his 49ers teammates, already has been to Australia.

Not just once, but in each of the past two offseasons.

Thus, he has simple advice for his teammates as they board a chartered jumbo jet Wednesday night for Melbourne, where they’ll acclimate for a week before opening the NFL season against the Los Angeles Rams at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sept. 10.

“Just try to stay on top of the sleep schedule, so you’ll be ready to go come game time, because the jet lag is real,” Okuayinonu said Tuesday at his locker after practice.

Earlier in the day, the 49ers got a 30-minute lecture about the importance of airplane sleep from Dustin Perry, the vice president of health and performance. Defensive end Keion White quipped that he’ll be downing melatonin to help him sleep.

Okuayinonu and some of his former Tennessee Titans teammates spent  1 ½ weeks in Melbourne during the 2025 offseason, then they returned south in February to hit Sydney’s sights before a stop back in Hawaii, where the 269-pound Okuayinonu surfed off Waikiki Beach.

“When I went to Melbourne, they were hosting a Super Bowl event, and seeing how much they love football, I’m excited to see how they’re going to be cheering,” Okuayinonu said. “And with the (100,000-seat) capacity of that stadium, it’s going to be full with energy in there. It’s pretty cool.”

Despite constantly waking up at 3 a.m., Okuayinonu has relished his Australian trips, noting that Melbourne is “younger, more lively” than Sydney, where he hit the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach.

“It was beautiful out there,” Okuayinonu said. “The way of life is different; it slows down. Good food, good people.”

Okuayinonu produced three sacks each of the past two seasons, reflecting the 49ers’ struggles to generate a fearsome pass rush, compounded last season by Nick Bosa’s Week 3 exit to a knee injury.

Okuayinonu spent most of this past training camp as a first-string defense, along with rookie Romello Height, who is currently sidelined by an ankle injury.

Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris described Okuayinonu as having a “pitbull mentality. He’s a barnyard bully.”

WHITE’S GUNSHOT RECOVERY

White took a lighthearted approach when speaking to the media for the first time since getting shot in the foot at a Super Bowl afterparty in San Francisco; police have made no arrests.

“I mean, I got shot. A gunshot to the foot, broke my talus bone, so I had to have surgery,” White said. “Two screws in (the ankle). Brushed it off. I literally was making jokes as I was going to the hospital.”

Asked if he feared for his life, White replied: “No, the funny part is I was the calming everyone else down. I don’t really take a lot of things seriously, so I didn’t know I got shot until like five minutes after I was walking around. It was cool.”

Still, White’s foot and ankle required extensive therapy afterward, to which he said: “It’s an ongoing thing. I’m still dealing with my ankle and recovery. I feel pretty good right now. It was a touch-and-go situation right up until training camp.”

BOSA UPDATE

Nick Bosa’s month-long hiatus from practice is expected to end Wednesday, general manager John Lynch said Tuesday morning on KNBR 680-AM. Bosa was not seen during media access the first 20 minutes of practice Monday and Tuesday, but Lynch said Bosa’s plan was to work on a side field those days.

“It’s disappointing because he came back in camp and was all ready. When he tried to get out there on the field, it got stirred up a bit and he got tendinitis, which often happens in an ACL recovery. That was unfortunate,” Lynch said. “… Is it ideal? No, but so long as he responds well, he’s been tracking very well. … We’re very hopeful.”

KITTLE KEEPS AT IT

Tight end George Kittle participated in his fourth consecutive practice since his Achilles comeback was cleared and he came off the Physically Unable to Perform list Aug. 23.

“It comes down to objective measures and he’s absolutely crushed them all,” Lynch added.

PRAISE FOR THOMPSON

Undrafted defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. was the “shocker of camp” in making the 49ers’ 53-man roster, according to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who described Thompson as: “Big man, stood up, throwing hands, shedding blocks. Does a lot of things in a positive way.”

ROLL CALL

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was not spotted in warmups, a day after he returned from a month-long hiatus caused by a fractured finger.

Wide receiver Mike Evans (groin) and linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring) were among those seen on a side field, while others out of practice were defensive linemen Romello Height (ankle) and Grayson Halton (ankle); wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hip) and cornerbacks Renardo Green (hamstring) and Ephesians Prysock (shoulder).

Added to the practice squad were cornerback Brandon Codrington, defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr., defensive tackle Kevin Givens and offensive lineman Foster Sarell.

PUNT RETURN OPTION

Cowing seemingly recaptured his 2024 job as the 49ers’ punt returner, but with him sidelined, the 49ers continue to explore options, including Deebo Samuel, Jordan Watkins, Jack Jones and Codrington.

TRAVEL PLANS

The 49ers’ buses are expected to depart their facility about 9 p.m. Wednesday en route to San Francisco for their direct flight to Melbourne aboard a Qantas Airbus A380 double-decker jumbo jet.