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

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

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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