Charlotte 49ers Football 2025 Kicks off the Albin Era

Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Athletics

Charlotte 49ers football begins the season in Uptown against the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Duke's Mayo Classic.

Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Athletics

The matchup marks the culmination of a rivalry renewed, the dawn of a new era, and the birth of a new season in the Queen City at Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers.

Head Coach Tim Albin takes over, and his resume screams success, which can all be attributed to his passion for the game. Returning to the first day of spring practice exemplifies that love for the game five months before the season even starts.

"I'm coaching ball. I do it for a loving, not a living," said Albin.

Laying the First Brick

Albin has identified his first areas of improvement; he wants to see the team more disciplined and tilt the turnover margin in the Niners' favor. 

Those were areas that were glaring problems for Charlotte. They were the 19th worst in the nation for penalty yards per game, averaging 65.3 yards a game after being penalized 93 times in 12 games. The 49ers were also tied for 11th place for the worst turnover margin, averaging -0.8 per game during the season.

If those issues can be alleviated this season, it could work wonders for Charlotte and be the first step in the right direction to building the program the right way. It should check off Athletic Director Mike Hill's expectations for year one in the Albin Era.

"Yeah, I want to see a competitive disposition that shows this team is united and cares about trying to represent the program and be the best we can be on the field and off the field, of course," Hill told The Mineshaft. 

Marquee Matchups

The 49ers' schedule this season has no shortage of highlight games, including renewing the rivalry with App State, Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Belichick's first collegiate road game, going between the hedges at Georgia, and that is just the nonconference matchups. 

Some conference games to highlight are the opening game, where Charlotte hosts the Rice Owls, now led by former Davidson Wildcat Head Coach Scott Abell, who is implementing an option offense system for the Owls. 

The Niners will take on in-state rivals East Carolina University in early November in Greenville, NC. They will also close the regular season with a road trip to New Orleans, LA, where they will take on Preseason favorites Tulane. 

Key Returners

Retaining key players on the roster was step one for Albin's staff as they took over, ensuring they had a proper foundation to add their 56 new players. 

"JQ Conley and Jonny King, both from North Carolina, I could not be prouder of those two men, along with many others who have stayed," said Albin at The American media day podium. "We all know the turnover with college athletics, what that entails, and how important those pieces are. I'm so thankful those guys are here, and it's us together." 

On the offensive side, one of the main forces was offensive lineman Jonny King, who will be returning to the 49ers for his sixth season of collegiate football and will have his ninth offensive line coach. He will be a stable veteran on the offensive line and one of the team captains.

The receiver corps only has one player coming back who had a significant statistical impact, and that is veteran Sean Brown, who had his waiver approved to play his seventh year of collegiate ball. After making spectacular catches all season for Charlotte, the new staff welcomes him back with open arms.

Running the ball this season will be done by committee, and that will be headlined by returners CJ Stokes and Henry Rutledge, who both bring a unique skillset and unique leadership style to the running back room. 

Stokes has shown flashes of incredible talent dating back to his days as a member of Michigan's National Championship-winning team, but injuries have prevented that from shining through. This year, he can showcase his talent and lead by example.

Rutledge has the flashy breakaway speed and versatility to his game that make him dangerous every time he touches the ball, which is evident in his return game, which has earned him a spot on the Jet Award preseason watchlist as one of the 16 best returners in the nation. His leadership style is much like his playing style, loud and vocal, making sure others around him feel his presence.

"Henry being our more vocal leader and me being the guy who gets here every day two hours before we start, just doing stuff, trying to help the guys stay healthy, making sure the guys are in the training room doing the little stuff," Stokes quote. "As far as making sure everyone has the right mindset and leading by example, that way more so than vocally."

On the defensive side of the ball, two names stood out to ensure they stayed in the Green and White: defensive back Ja'Qurious Conley and linebacker Reid Williford. 

Conley is a team captain and will be one of the starting safeties, and will help anchor the back end of the defense. In a small sample size last season, due to eligibility issues, he only got to play in the final six games, but he made an impact in those games and should shine in a whole year wearing the uniform.

Williford is entering his senior season and has been a strong contributor to Charlotte football since his true freshman season. Last year, he stood out as the team's leading tackler. This year, he returns to anchor the defense as part of a talented, deep linebacker room.

Standout Additions

56 new players are calling Jerry Richardson Stadium home this season and are looking to make a strong impact on both sides of the ball this year.

The main question during fall camp has been which of the three transfer quarterbacks will win the job between North Carolina transfer Connor Harrell, Duke transfer Grayson Loftis, and Northwest Mississippi transfer Zach Wilcke. 

On the evening of Aug. 25, Pete Thamel of ESPN gave us that answer when he reported that Harrell would get the nod as the starter, which came as little surprise after the coaching staff voted the quarterback to be a team captain the week prior. Harrell's dual-threat capabilities won him the job to start the year.

Tight end Jake Young is another offensive transfer who has a strong relationship with Harrell off the field and should make an impact. Young was Harrell's teammate at North Carolina before transferring to Western Carolina. Young was named to the 2024 All-SoCon first team and should be a key piece of the tight end room.

After practice, Young and Harrell can be seen as some of the last players to leave the field, putting in extra work and building their long-standing connection both on the field and as teammates and off the field as roommates. 

"Connor Harrell, specifically, is my roommate," said Young. "We became really good friends at Chapel Hill our freshman year, about two and a half years ago, and now we are back together."

The defensive side of the ball also bolsters a plethora of new players who should make a substantial impact with the team.

On the defensive front, senior transfer Braden Mullen, coming off an All-Ivy League First Team season at Dartmouth, where he had 30 tackles and five sacks, looks ot be a significant addition to the defensive line. 

The linebacker room looks to be stacked with notable transfers from Shay Taylor and Kadin Schmitz, both coming in from Ohio, and Gavin Willis from Bucknell. Taylor was named a team captain and is primed for a breakout year in the Queen City as the linebacker room looks to be the most loaded and depth-filled position group on defense.

"It's probably one of the closest linebacker groups I've been a part of," said Taylor. "We've meshed really well, and we have a lot of fun there. It's a room full of talent; any one of those guys can play. It's a blessing to come here and see a group of men who are just ready to roll."

Charlotte's secondary got a boost with two-time FCS All-American Caleb Curtain, who transferred from Elon University to add another talented veteran to the defensive back room. He led Elon in tackles in both 2023 and 2024 with 80 and 75 tackles, respectively. 

Kicking off the Year 

The 49ers' season kicks off on Friday night, Aug. 29, at Bank of America Stadium in the Duke's Mayo Classic. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and televised on ESPNU.