Charlotte 49ers football – Syndication Server

Bryson Nesbit sets UNC football program record

Is Bryson Nesbit the best tight end to come through Chapel Hill?

The North Carolina Tar Heels have enjoyed one of college football’s deepest tight end rooms over the past couple seasons, in large part thanks to in-state standout Bryson Nesbit.

A senior from South Mecklenburg High School, Nesbit has a touchdown in each of his four seasons at UNC. Nesbit was a 2024 preseason Mackey Award Watch List honoree, meaning he’s in consideration for the nation’s top tight end.

Nesbit’s most recent touchdown, which opened up North Carolina’s scoring last Saturday in its home opener against Charlotte, set a new program record with 11 career touchdowns.

If you total Nesbit’s career stats through two games of the Tar Heels’ season, he has 1,308 career receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 38 catches. Nesbit needs 505 more receiving yards to surpass Eric Ebron, the last tight end from UNC to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Last year, Nesbit was in a timeshare with both John Copenhaver and Kamari Morales. With Morales now at Boston College, Nesbit should play a lot more this year.

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Nesbit, though, suffered an upper-body injury against Charlotte and didn’t return for the second half of play. North Carolina head coach Mack Brown provided some good news during the postgame press conference, saying that Nesbit – nor anyone else on the roster – is in danger of missing the season.

Will Nesbit return to the field soon and surpass Ebron in the receiving yardage department?

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Jahvaree Ritzie amongst national leaders in which defensive category?

Jahvaree Ritzie’s hot start for UNC has him amongst college football’s most productive lineman early in the 2024 college football season.

After playing in a rotation last year, Jahvaree Ritzie is taking full advantage of his starting opportunity for the UNC football program so far in 2024.

Ritzie’s defensive prowess has North Carolina at 2-0 already, with a close Week 1 win at Minnesota and a more comfortable victory against Charlotte last weekend.

Ritzie has a Tar Heels-best five sacks and tackles for loss through two games, as he is one of many beneficiaries from new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ pressure-heavy scheme. UNC is still giving up big plays in the secondary, but the defensive line is doing its job.

On a line where Kaimon Rucker is supposed to be the unit’s most productive star, it’s Ritzie shining the most through two games.

Ritzie’s five sacks, which not only lead his teammates, are best in the ACC and second in the nation – only to New Mexico’s Christian Ellis.

Ritzie nabbed his first three sacks in the season-opener at Minnesota, then tacked on two more against Charlotte. His 2024 figures already passed his previous career totals, which included just 2.5 sacks combined from 2021-2023.

It’s tough for anyone to keep up Ritzie’s level of production, but it’s also a level of play I see Ritzie continuing through much of the season. With North Carolina facing NC Central this coming Saturday, I see Ritzie continuing his breakout season and adding to his sack total.

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Davion Gause delivers breakout performance in second-half relief of Omarion Hampton

North Carolina found yet another star running back in freshman Davion Gause on Saturday afternoon.

After one half of football on Saturday afternoon against the Charlotte 49ers, Omarion Hampton appeared well on the way to a second-consecutive100-yard rushing game for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Hampton ended the first half of UNC’s home opener with 77 yards on 11 carries, good enough for seven yards per carry. Hampton already ran for 129 yards on 30 carries in a 19-17 win at Minnesota last week.

When the final seconds ticked off the clock in North Carolina’s 38-20 victory, though, there was a different running back with 100 yards in his back pocket.

That back was true freshman Davion Gause, who – in relief for an injured Hampton – carried the rock 16 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Gause felt ready to step in, though he didn’t know Hampton was injured until after halftime.

“Coach Porter, he prepares all the running backs in practice to handle the workload,” Gause told media after the game. “If one person goes down, the next man’s up. Coach Porter gets us ready for big moments like that and we’re ready when we get in the game. I’d seen him (Hampton) on a bike. And then he was like you’ve got a third drive. He was like keep doing what you’re doing, stay focused.”

Hampton was available to return in the second half, but the Tar Heels didn’t want to risk further injury on their start running back, particularly in a September non-conference game. Darwin Barlow, who transferred from USC in the offseason to be UNC’s backup, was announced out pre-game with a lower-body injury.

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Tar Heels’ trick play sparks second half run

UNC scored one of the more oddball touchdowns you’ll see in college football’s Week 2 slate.

A week after struggling to get into a consistent offensive rhythm, the North Carolina Tar Heels showcased their typically-explosive offensive during Saturday’s home football opener against Charlotte.

UNC went scoreless on its first drive of the game, then scored on three consecutive possessions and took a 21-6 lead into halftime. North Carolina starting quarterback Conner Harrell found tight end Bryson Nesbit for his first of three touchdowns, Nate McCollum scored on a 37-yard end-around, then Harrell ran in a score from four yards out.

It was the Tar Heels’ first scoring drive of the second half, though, that turned heads everywhere in Kenan Stadium.

Just 4:06 into the third quarter, UNC pulled off a double-reverse in which Harrell ended up with the ball. Harrell launched the ball downfield and found redshirt freshman Christian Hamilton, who then danced his way around the defense and into the end zone, for a 58-yard touchdown.

This play had North Carolina head coach Mack Brown buzzing in particular.

“That play, I thought it was going to blow up because when the corner came, I thought he hit us in the backfield, Brown told media after the game. “And Conner was poised, they were all poised and pitched it back to him. Conner made a great throw and again, it’s really hard to catch a ball when you’re not sure where everybody around you is located. They can all hit you and Christian was focused. Usually, people drop that ball. And then he was cool enough to step around. John Copenhaver was smart enough not to block in the back and we scored. I thought that pretty much ended the game because they (Charlotte) weren’t going to score many points.”

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Hamilton’s quarterback, Conner Harrell, was also happy his redshirt freshman receiver scored his first career touchdown. Harrell was also honest about the play, saying he wasn’t initially aiming for Hamilton.

“The play was really for the tight end, I didn’t want to miss the guy so I looked at the tight end first, that’s why I was a little late,” Harrell said. “But I got it to him (Christian Hamilton), thank god it was floating up there for a little while. It felt like an eternity, but got it to him and he got his first touchdown.”

Will we see the Tar Heels craft additional trick plays in next week’s home clash with NC Central?

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Tar Heels roll past Charlotte to move to 2-0 on season

The UNC football team shook off some early hiccups in Saturday’s home opener and beat Charlotte by a comfortable margin, thanks to a well-rounded effort.

Even with a couple of early hiccups in their 2024 home football opener against Charlotte, the North Carolina Tar Heels played significantly better than last week at Minnesota.

After trading scoreless drives to open the day, UNC scored on three straight possessions to break away from the 49ers in a 38-20 victory.

UNC finished its day with 490 yards, significantly better than the 252 it registered in Week One.

Charlotte nearly punched back with a couple of touchdowns, driving deep into the North Carolina red zone on its second and third possessions, thanks to a couple of long drives led by starting quarterback Max Brown.

The Tar Heel defense, like it did last week against Minnesota, stood tall and limited the 49ers to a pair of field goals. Jahvaree Ritzie continued his strong start to 2024, recording two sacks and becoming the first Tar Heel with five sacks in two games since Kareem Martin in 2013.

Conner Harrell, who will be North Carolina’s starting quarterback for the remainder of 2024, finished his day with two touchdown passes – one to Bryson Nesbit and another to Christian Hamilton – and a rushing touchdown. He looked a lot more comfortable on Saturday, particularly after being thrust into fourth-quarter action in relief of Max Johnson last week.

Nate McCollum also added a rushing touchdown on a 37-yard, second-quarter end-around.

Omarion Hampton looked like his usual self for UNC, running for 80 yards through two quarters, but he left the game early with an undisclosed injury. True freshman running back Davion Gause played extremely well in relief of Hampton, picking up 109 yards and scoring his first collegiate touchdown.

Hampton wasn’t the only injured Tar Heel, as star edge rusher Kaimon Rucker was announced out before the game. He has a lower-body injury that will require him to miss a couple weeks.

North Carolina has another winnable game next weekend, hosting the FCS North Carolina Central Eagles.

Will injuries to Hampton and Rucker, UNC’s two best players, cause them to struggle? Or can the Tar Heels improve to 3-0 and get their stars some much-needed rest?

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Charlotte head football coach Biff Poggi praises UNC program

Charlotte 49ers head coach Biff Poggi gave some major praise to the UNC football program ahead of Saturday’s inaugural matchup.

After waiting nearly 10 months to play inside Kenan Stadium, the North Carolina Tar Heels will host Charlotte on Saturday for their 2024 home football opener.

UNC held on for a 19-17 victory over Minnesota last week, thanks to a perfect night from kicker Noah Burnette and a much-improved defense.

The 49ers, on the other hand, scored a second quarter touchdown in their home opener on Saturday, Aug. 31. Charlotte never scored again, as James Madison rattled off 30 unanswered points for a 30-7 victory.

Despite North Carolina’s tendency to play in-state opponents every year, in addition to annual battles with NC State and archrival Duke, the Tar Heels and 49ers have yet to play each other.

Biff Poggi, who is in just his second year as Charlotte’s head football coach, has also never coached against UNC.

That didn’t stop Poggi from calling North Carolina the state’s best college football program. This is a pretty big compliment to receive, especially with the Tar Heels playing alongside consistent programs like App State and NC State.

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UNC will actually be facing a few of its former players on Saturday: defensive back Ja’Qurious Conley, wide receiver Justin Olson and defensive back Dontae Balfour.

Can North Carolina turn in a dominant effort and start its 2024 campaign with consecutive victories?

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Charlotte 49ers: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Charlotte season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Charlotte season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Charlotte Schedule Analysis
– Charlotte 49ers Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 2-4 overall, 2-2 in C-USA
Head Coach: Will Healy, 3rd year, 9-10
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 116
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 115
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 72

Charlotte 49ers College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– The 49ers get cut a little slack considering the program was hammered by Covid issues. It managed to do a great job of controlling the clock and the tempo, and it averaged a solid 378 yards per game with a decent downfield passing attack. When they scored more than 20 points, they won. When they didn’t, they lost.

On the positive side in a lemonade-out-of-lemons way, a whole lot of players saw meaningful time and rose up into their jobs. Ten starters are expected to return with the spotlight on …

– Chris Reynolds should be the starting quarterback, but he’s about to get pushed. He’s just a 5-11, 190ish pound baller, but he’s able to move the offense. He threw eight touchdown passes with just two picks in the six games, but in comes James Foster from Texas A&M to battle for the starting gig. Reynolds is the reliable veteran leader, but Foster might be the shot for the stars.

The receiving corps is going to be fantastic with the big play ability of Victor Tucker leading a loaded group. There’s not a ton of size, but the top four pass catchers are back including TE Taylor Thompson.

– Losing top two rushers Tre Harbison and Aaron McAllister doesn’t help, and now it’ll be a rotation for a while to find the main man. Shadrick Byrd comes in from Iowa, and Calvin Camp is a speedster with big play ability.

Four starters return on a line that was good for the running game but struggled at keeping defenses out of the backfield. Losing OT Ty’kiest Crawford to Arkansas and center Jaelin Fisher isn’t a plus, but there are enough decent parts back to be okay. It won’t be a killer line, but the starting five will be fine as long as there isn’t a rash of injuries.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Charlotte Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Charlotte 49ers College Football Preview 2021: Defense

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College Football News Preview 2020: Charlotte 49ers

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Charlotte 49ers season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Charlotte 49ers season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Charlotte Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 3-5 in C-USA
Head Coach: Will Healy, 2nd year, 7-6
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 93
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 72
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 103

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Charlotte 49ers Offense 3 Things To Know

– There’s only a five-year sample size of Charlotte football being alive and kicking in the FBS world, but the offense was by far the best ever. It led Conference USA in rushing, finished fourth overall, and scored 34 points or more six times after doing it just six times over the first four years.

But now it has to go on without offensive coordinator Alex Atkins – who left for Florida State – and in comes Mark Carney to try keeping it all going.

CFN in 60 Video: Tennessee Preview
Charlotte at Tennessee, Sept. 5
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Doing it all again starts with replacing Benny LeMay, the 1,072-yard back who also came up with six scores. Senior Aaron McAllister is a bigger back who can power away – running for 380 yards and five scores – and 5-6, 170-pound sophomore Ishod Finger is a speedster who averaged five yards per crack with five scores.

Those two are strong, but it’s Northern Illinois transfer Tre Harbison who might take over the gig right away – he led the Huskies with over 1,000 yards in each of the last two years.

– Almost all of the top targets are back. The top three receivers – all caught 25 passes or more – form a nice, versatile group starting with junior Victor Tucker, who led the team with 52 catches for 909 yards and seven scores.

6-3, 221-pound senior Tyler Ringwood caught 25 passes with five going for scores, and Cameron Dollar made 41 grabs in the slot. Junior TE Jacob Hunt returns – the 6-4, 255-pounder is more of a blocker catching six passes.

The corps also gets back its quarterback. Chris Reynolds is an all-around baller, throwing for 2,564 yards, averaging close to nine yards per throw, and finishing second on the team with 767 rushing yards and six scores. It’ll be a battle for the No. 2 spot, with JUCO transfer Dominique Shoffner likely getting the job.

– The offensive line that paved the way for the league’s best running game and was decent in pass protection gets back just two starters. The left side is the bigger problem – losing OT Cameron Clark hurts – but veteran Jaelin Fisher is back at center and junior D’Mitri Emmanuel is back at one tackle.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Charlotte 49ers Defense 3 Things To Know

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2020 NFL draft: Benny LeMay scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Charlotte running back prospect Benny LeMay

Benny LeMay | RB | Charlotte

Elevator Pitch

LeMay is a back that could work his way into the later rounds. Small-school back, but has some power to his game. Not very fast so that will limit impact he could have on special teams. He is better between the tackles than on the boundary.

Vitals

Height | 5-8

Weight | 221

Class | Senior

College Stats

College Bio

Combine Profile

Strengths

LeMay has terrific contact balance. With his short and compact frame, he can absorb contact and keep pushing forward. Runs with physicality and his stiff arm can create some separation when running the football. He isn’t a back that goes down on first contact so defense have to bring more than one body to bring him down.

He is a back that you can trust with the ball. Only fumbled it four times in four years at Charlotte. Also shows good ability to catch the football when running routes. He will be a good outlet throw for a quarterback needing to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack. He does have some quickness and shiftyness to create problems when in the open field and good vision to boot.

Weaknesses

LeMay doesn’t possess blazing speed as evident of his 4.75 40 time that he posted at the NFL Combine. It confirmed what was on tape from his time in Charlotte. Not a guy who will house very many runs. Running on the boundary will be a concern due to the inability to beat many defenders to the corner on plays outside the tackle.

He can be slow to hole but not due to his speed. Seems slow to diagnose the blocking up front. Needs to make a decision, plant his foot and get up field. Will dance around a bit trying to make something happen when nothing is there. With his size and power, needs to just lower his shoulder and go.

Right now he isn’t a three-down back as he is a liability in pass protection. He should be fine in protection once he shows better technique. Needs to use his hands and power to take on blitzers in pass protection.

Projection: Day 3

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