This season’s Charlotte 49ers will have more depth at key positions

Depth has never been one of the Charlotte 49ers’ strengths. In a program that’s just entering its eighth season of existence, it’s been a task to simply find starters good enough to compete on the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, much less back them up with quality substitutes.

49ers second-year coach Will Healy thinks that’s changing this season.

“We’ve got options,” Healy said earlier this week about his defensive line, although he could have been talking about several other positions. “I don’t think that’s something I could have said a year ago.”

Healy lost 10 starters (including two taken in the NFL draft and another who signed as a free agent) from last season’s team that went 7-6, the first winning season in program history. Replacing those kinds of players was never going to be easy, but Healy has put some intriguing pieces back into the puzzle.

▪ At running back, where Benny LeMay gained 1,082 yards last season, Healy brought in grad transfer Tre Harbison, himself a 1,000-yard rusher at Northern Illinois the last two seasons, to compete with Aaron McAllister, who ran for 380 yards last season as LeMay’s backup.

▪ The offensive line lost three starters, including Cam Clark (New York Jets). Four-star recruit Ty’kieast Crawford, talented junior college transfer Ashton Gist, along with former backups Jonathan Timmons and Gage Welborn seem ready to step in. Grad transfers Hunter Kelly (Penn State) and Jon Jacobs (Arizona) will add to the depth.

“Hunter Kelly is getting better and better,” Healy said. “And Ty’kieast is going to go through his 18-year-old lumps by playing some of the (defensive) ends on our schedule. He’ll survive some of the growing pains he has by birth.

Healy says one of the strengths of the offensive line is that several players can mix and match at different positions. He then brought in a new kind of concern into the equation.

“But we need to be eight or nine deep, not just because of the injury perspective,” he said. “One of these dudes might test positive (for coronavirus). We’ve got to have guys who can step up.”

▪ All-American defensive end Alex Highsmith plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers now. His replacement? Tyriq Harris, who missed last season with a back injury and was honorable mention all-Conference USA two years ago.

▪ The interior defensive line was a weak spot last season and returns Timmy Horne. Healy thinks he’s bulked up that position, especially with Vanderbilt transfer Siah Sa’o and Bryan Wallace, who played behind Horne and Tommy Doctor last season. Juco transfer Rayshaad Roddy had 12.5 sacks last season, third nationally. Mikel Horton, a transfer from Wofford, also adds depth to the line.

“We’ve got some really, really good players that are starting to make that battle start to heat up at defensive tackle,” Healy said.

▪ At linebacker, 49ers career tackling leader Jeff Gemmell has graduated. Into his spot steps Tyler Murray, who was a third-team all-Sun Belt selection at Troy in 2018.

▪ At safety, Marquavis Gibbs, who had a team-high 103 tackles last season, will probably be replaced by Antone Williams, a grad transfer from Duke.

Saturday scrimmage

Observations from the 49ers’ second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday:

▪ The defense was more stout than it was a week ago, when it gave up several big plays to the offense.

“The overall execution, focus and physicality was totally different than a week ago,” Healy said. “There was some good give and take. It’s a grind, we’ve been at it since July 24 and in camp since August 7. Here you are August 22nd and you usually have to coach the energy up. But we’ve been all ramped up in practice all week.”

▪ One of the better defensive plays was turned in by cornerback Lance McMillan, who broke up a slant pass from quarterback Chris Reynolds to Victor Tucker.

▪ Kicker Jonathan Cruz came up short on a 53-yard field goal attempt and had another blocked.

▪ The 49ers spent a lot of time on situational plays and drives. On one, for instance, the offense was to begin a drive on the defense’s 34 with 2 minutes, 38 seconds to play and both units having two timeouts. Three and out.

▪ Redshirt freshman Trey Bly (Myers Park High) had the scrimmage’s only turnover, intercepting a deep pass. He got to dunk the ball in the defense’s “turnover trash can.”

▪ Several players were held out with minor injuries, including Harbison, receiver Tyler Ringwood and defensive back Ja’Cione Fugate.

▪ Healy spent some of the scrimmage carrying around his infant son Wynn.

This story was originally published August 22, 2020 at 3:05 PM.