What’s next for Charlotte 49ers football as spring workouts come to a close

Spring practice is in the books for Tim Albin and the Charlotte 49ers as they enter year two of his tenure, aiming to rebound from a one-win 2025 season.

Saturday’s 15th and final session marked their last full-team work until fall camp opens in early August.

A recent transfer portal rule change eliminated the post-spring window — a shift Albin welcomes — meaning the roster is largely set. While Albin and his staff will consider adding depth, this is the group expected to take the field at Richardson Stadium against The Citadel on Sept. 5.

“We’re not a finished product, but I really like the progress we have made,” Albin told The Observer. “I’m really excited about the 15 guys that signed in December, the early enrollees. They will start fall camp not as freshmen. That’s really an advantage for those guys.”

Charlotte prioritizing health and cohesion

The months ahead will be spent in the weight room, building toward the daily grind of fall camp, but the foundation was laid this spring. In previous years, those sessions leaned heavily on individual development, with an eye toward inevitable roster turnover. This time, the approach was different.

Albin and his staff met regularly to navigate a shifting college football landscape, prioritizing cohesion and chemistry even as new transfer portal rules limited their ability to address roster gaps after spring.

That continuity comes after a season derailed by injuries. Charlotte was hit hard — not just at key positions, but across the depth chart, affecting special teams units and even scout team rotations.

Quarterback play drew much of the blame, but Charlotte’s offensive line was a major culprit in last season’s struggles. Injuries ravaged the group, disrupting any sense of continuity, and Albin is hoping for far better luck up front this year.

“We’re more athletic. We’ve got more depth than we had a year ago,” Albin said of the offensive line. “We’re still not where we need to be, with the climate of college football and revenue share, we are not where we need to be. But we are better than a year ago. We have to stay healthy. Toward the end of the year, you couldn’t even evaluate the play calling (the line play was so bad). It was very difficult. We’re better off now, but it’s our year to not have a bunch of injuries because we had them all last year.”

Perimeter talent improved, but questions remain

The issues up front, coupled with quarterback Conner Harrell’s season-ending injury, crippled the downfield element of offensive coordinator Todd Fitch’s scheme, resulting in just 14.3 points per game — the lowest mark in program history.

And while Charlotte’s receiver room features a mix of new faces and returning contributors, Albin isn’t certain the group can replicate the top-end impact Javen Nicholas — now at Duke — provided last season.

“Will we have someone as good as Javen (Nicholas)? I hope so. Time will tell. We’ll miss Sean (Brown)’s length. 50/50 balls, he was pretty good, and looking back, we should have gotten him some more opportunities there,” said Albin. “On the group we have now, we’re going to be two deep, and we’re much faster at the position. Todd (Fitch) will have some challenges there getting the ball spread around at the right time. You’ve got to think in terms of players, not plays. We’ve got to call things to their strengths.”

One player Fitch will need to keep involved is wideout Derrick Eley, who showed flashes as a freshman and has continued to build momentum this spring, earning praise from both the coaching staff and the quarterbacks.

“Derrick Eley had a great year in the return department. We played him at every position, and I’m pleased with where he’s at,” Albin said. “He’s got his body weight up a little bit, and he needs to get a little bit stronger so he can play the whole game — and not be a 30-snap guy. I’d like for him to be a 42-snap guy at that position.”

Returning quarterback Grayson Loftis added: “Eley became a really big part of the offense last season toward the end, and you can see the comfort level (this year).”

A redshirt sophomore, Eley logged just 89 snaps last season, finishing with five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while also breaking loose for an 88-yard kick return score against UTSA. The raw numbers won’t jump off the page, but in a lost season, they offered a glimpse of his playmaking ability — and underscored the youth movement Albin is leaning into as he enters year two.

Freshman quarterback impressing early

And just as Eley absorbed early growing pains, true freshman quarterback and early enrollee Jaylen White is navigating a similar path. Still, his play has caught Albin’s attention, with the Clearwater, Florida, native earning praise from the first day of spring practice.

“In my years of coaching, for a freshman at mid-year, he’s probably one of the better ones I have had in terms of picking stuff up,” Albin said of White. “We have some West Coast length in our play calls. We do a fair amount of motioning. He’s handling that, which is an adjustment, and has handled reading the coverages. Not perfect, but for a senior in high school, he’s pretty calm. I’m pleased with where he is at.”

Charlotte’s quarterback competition is shaping up as a three-way battle, with Pittsburgh/Western Carolina transfer Cole Gonzales joining returnees Loftis and Conner Harrell (recovering from injury). Still, White has emerged as a credible long-term option. Unlike the trio competing for the starting job — all of whom arrived via the transfer portal — White committed to Albin and the 49ers out of high school, giving the staff a developmental piece they can build around.

What makes White’s path especially notable in today’s college football landscape is its simplicity: one official visit, a trip to Charlotte’s campus, and a commitment shortly after from the three-star prospect.

“I only took one official visit, but when I got here, I realized the campus was beautiful. The culture is pretty good, and Albin does a great job,” White told The Observer. “I’d say I am a true dual threat (quarterback). I can use my legs, but I always look to pass first. Really, a playmaker that can make something out of nothing. Just play football.”