Charlotte 49ers quarterback Chris Reynolds only ‘scratched the surface’ of his potential
Chris Reynolds becoming the Charlotte 49ers’ unquestioned starting quarterback — finally — hasn’t changed his outlook on life.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Reynolds said Tuesday after the 49ers’ first session of spring practice. “But that chip is always going to be there. It’s been instilled in me since Day 1: I’m the guy who’s overlooked. I’m going to be pushing every day. I’m not going to stop working just because I got somewhere. I want to take it to the next level and be better than the year before and the year before that.
Now a junior, Reynolds helped the 49ers to the first winning record (7-6) and bowl appearance in program history. He threw for 2,564 yards and 22 touchdowns, while his 153.6 efficiency rating was a school record and ranked 16th nationally. Reynolds also ran for 791 yards and scored six touchdowns.
And, for once, he goes into spring practice as the starter.
A former walk-on who didn’t receive any Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers coming out of Davie County High, Reynolds had to beat out incumbent starter Hasaan Klugh and Miami-transfer Evan Shirreffs for the starting job in 2018.
After missing six games with a severe ankle injury that season, Reynolds (5-foot-10, 192 pounds) nonetheless won the job back last fall, this time with Shirreffs and South Florida transfer Brett Kean (now a grad assistant) as his competition.
And although there’s new competition at the quarterback spot this season from junior college transfer Dominique Shoffner, the starting job in the spring — and going forward — undoubtedly belongs to Reynolds.
“It’s his football team now,” 49ers coach Will Healy said. “I hope Chris attacks every day like he doesn’t know who the quarterback is going to be. Those guys have rallied around Chris.
“There’s a little bit more stability and confidence in this offense working now, and Chris’s ability to run it. I hope he’s not satisfied with our results of a year ago.”
Reynolds has never taken anything for granted, but what has also made him valuable to the 49ers is his leadership.
“Now I’m in a position of helping others,” Reynolds said. “I’m still competing every day, no doubt. My mentality is to compete every day to be a better player and better person. Now with these young guys coming in, it’s time for them to develop and I want to make sure I’m an outlet for them to come in and be there if they have any questions.
“I’m grateful to be in that position.”
Said senior running back Aaron McAllister: “Chris is always leading us. We follow Chris. He’s the anchor of the team. We listen to him. He puts us on the right path and takes us in the right direction.”
Although the 49ers return seven starters on offense, there’s plenty of change around Reynolds. Charlotte needs to replace all-Conference USA running back Benny LeMay, and three offensive linemen have graduated.
There’s also a new offensive coordinator in Mark Carney, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach after Alex Atkins left for Florida State in January.
Reynolds and Carney already have a close relationship. (Reynolds said he was sitting in his house and “jumped out of my chair and yelled ‘Let’s go!’ ” when he heard about Carney’s promotion.) After the 49ers lost to Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl, Reynolds immediately sought out Carney, gave him a hug and told him he was ready to get back to work.
“We’ve just scratched the surface with what he can do as a playmaker,” Carney said of Reynolds. “He’s so driven. From a leadership perspective, he inspires confidence in how he uses the voice he has with the team. There’s a fine line between ‘Been there, done it, now follow me by watching’ and what he does, which is, ‘Hey, I’m going to help you with the things that made me successful and might work for you.’
“He’s as prepared and as studied as anybody I’ve ever seen. We have meetings for countless hours and I can’t get rid of him. He’s like a stain or something. He sits in here and wants to know, ‘What should I do, what should I see? Should I look at this a different way?’ Being inquisitive has helped him as a player. Knowledge is power.”
49ers notes
▪ Charlotte has five true freshmen who enrolled this semester and are practicing this spring: Receivers Braylin Johnson, Whit Kane and Chris Houston, offensive lineman D.J. Bagwell and defensive lineman Dez Morgan.
▪ Defensive end Jaison Williams is one to watch. Williams played for 49ers coach Will Healy at Austin Peay and was a Football Championship Subdivision All-American in 2018.
▪ Defensive back Nafees Lyon is back for a final season. Lyon, out of Mallard Creek High, redshirted as a freshman in 2015, then played two seasons before missing the 2018 season with an injury. After playing in 2019, he received a sixth-year injury waiver from the NCAA to play this season. Pro Football Focus ranked Lyon as the top defensive back in the nation against post routes last season, not allowing a reception and having one interception.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 3:43 PM.