Obstacles and slights? Charlotte 49ers quarterback Chris Reynolds overcomes them all

Perhaps it was a simple bookkeeping oversight, but Chris Reynolds has finally been officially named the Charlotte 49ers’ starting quarterback.

That might seem odd. Reynolds, a redshirt sophomore, has started nine of Charlotte’s 10 games, leading the 49ers (5-5, 3-3 Conference USA) to the brink of bowl eligibility as they face Marshall (7-3, 5-1) on Saturday at Richardson Stadium.

Reynolds has been playing at a high level all season, but never as high as in Charlotte’s current three-game winning streak, during which he’s thrown for 882 yards and six touchdowns, as well as rushed for 290 yards and two more scores.

But it was only this week that first-year Charlotte coach Will Healy finally placed Reynolds’ name above grad transfer Brett Kean’s on the 49ers’ two-deep depth chart.

“It’s crazy,” said Healy. “You think, 10 games into (the season) now and we were erasing the ‘or’ on the depth chart between him and Brett. (Reynolds) is much more comfortable in our offense. He is leading much better and taking control of our offense. He has not put the ball in jeopardy, knock on wood. He makes good decisions and has been a threat to run the football … which I think makes it hard to defend us. He seems to elevate everyone around him.”

Did the indecision on the depth chart bother Reynolds? No more than other perceived slights or obstacles he’s had to face or overcome since his days at Davie County High, where recruiters from major college programs passed him by.

“Through this whole thing, starting in high school, being the guy who was not highly recruited, the guy nobody necessarily wanted, it’s become a lifestyle kind of deal for me,” Reynolds said earlier this week. “I don’t expect anything else. Never once in my life have I expected to be given anything.”

Reynolds was a star quarterback at Davie County, but at 5-foot-10 his only scholarship offer came from Division II Catawba. After attending a summer camp at Charlotte, Reynolds was invited to walk on by former 49ers coach Brad Lambert. After redshirting his freshman season, Reynolds had a breakout spring practice in 2018 -- beating incumbent quarterback Hasaan Klugh and Miami transfer Evan Shirreffs for the starting job.

Reynolds played well through the first six games of the ’18 season before severely injuring his ankle against Western Kentucky. He missed the rest of the season. Returning for spring practice earlier this year, he had to prove himself all over again to a new coaching staff. His competition this time was two former Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks who had transferred to Charlotte: Shirreffs and Kean (South Florida).

Kean actually won the starting job, but barely. Healy named Kean the starter a few days before the season opener against Gardner-Webb, but also said Kean and Reynolds would alternate every two possessions in the first half.

When Reynolds came in, he led the 49ers to touchdowns on his two scheduled possessions. Healy kept him in the game, and Reynolds directed scoring drives on the next two possessions.

Although Kean has made a few spot appearances, Reynolds has started ever since. He’s second in C-USA in pass efficiency (155.7) and sixth in total offense (255 yards per game). Reynolds has become as much of a threat with his legs as with his arm, with 516 yards rushing (second on the team to senior running back Benny LeMay).

“His decision making keeps getting better,” said 49ers offensive coordinator Alex Atkins. “Our offense is solely based on the quarterback’s pre-snap and post-snap decision making and he does that well for us. He’s gotten comfortable in the offense.”

Reynolds gets all this done despite his short stature.

“Yeah, he’s got that Drew Brees attitude going,” laughed Atkins, referring to the New Orleans Saints’ 6-0 quarterback. “We need to get him some shoe raisers, or some stilts. Get him to be about 6-5.”

Here’s another -- and equally as important -- reason why the 49ers have become Reynolds’ team. Healy recently asked a group of players who they considered the best leaders in their lives to be. Junior receiver Tyler Ringwood’s response: Chris Reynolds.

“He’s by far the most inspirational football player I’ve been around,” Ringwood said. “Just watching him come in each and every day, all that he’s fought through. He puts his head down and never stops, never stops working and he does it with a smile on his face, with all that energy.”

Said Reynolds: “When you hear that said from somebody else, it makes me think that I never looked back at being the best leader. I’ve always thought it was just doing your job. But I realize now things go past just being the quarterback. I want them to know, ‘I’ve got your back.’ It’s about affecting others and motivating others. That’s when it hits home. It’s pretty cool

“It’s a natural thing. I feel a sense of responsibility that I want to help everybody around me. If you have a question, please come to me, because I will not be afraid to help you out.”

Reynolds said he might want to get into coaching when his playing career is over.

“He knows football,” said quarterbacks coach Mark Carney.

Of Reynolds’ leadership skills, Carney said, “He knows when to jump them and when to coddle them. But his bark is louder than his bite. He will handle (Victor Tucker) a certain way. He’ll handle (Ringwood) a little differently. He knows when to push buttons. It changes day to day. These are 18-to-20 year olds. They can be moody.”

But Reynolds gets his message through.

“He uses constructive criticism,” said Ringwood. “I’ve noticed every time Chris does something with us, he asks us why we did it? Like, ‘OK, this is the look they have, here’s what we’re going to do. This is probably what you want to do.’ Just little things like that.

“There’s always a purpose and a reason for what he wants us to do.”

And he’s comfortable enough in his role now that he dressed up like Healy after a Halloween practice, giving a spot-on imitation of the coach in front of the team.”

Healy looked on and laughed. Even if he hadn’t yet documented it on the depth chart, Healy knew who his quarterback was.

“He’s a really good picture of what I think our football team needs to look like,” Healy said.

Marshall at Charlotte

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Richardson Stadium.

Watch: Stadium Network.

Listen: 730-AM.

This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 12:42 PM.