Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds returning for extra season. ‘We’ve got unfinished business’

Charlotte 49ers quarterback Chris Reynolds announced Monday that he would return for one final season of college football.

The NCAA granted an extra season of eligibility due to the ongoing pandemic, allowing Reynolds to play one extra season in Charlotte’s green and gold.

The journey continues for the former walk-on.

“Damn right, we’ve got unfinished business,” Reynolds told The Observer. “I can’t leave on that taste. When you talk about putting a lot into something and you end on that, it hurts you bad. I can’t walk out on that feeling. We can’t finish like that.”

Reynolds led the 49ers with 2,680 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns this season, breaking his own records in both categories. The 49ers started the season with its first win over a Power Five opponent when Reynolds engineered two-lead changing drives, one of which sealed the win over Duke with just 33 seconds to play.

Following the best start in program history at 4-2, Charlotte lost five of its last six, unwinding down the stretch and raising questions for the future. There was pressure on the offense to score nearly every possession as the defense allowed 36.6 points and 492 yards per game in conference play.

Reynolds said that football wasn’t pressuring for him. He’s felt relied on, even more so in this past year. But at the end of the day, Reynolds said he doesn’t want any regrets.

“I want to make sure when I leave here that I exhausted everything I could to make sure that we ended on the right note,” Reynolds said. “We’re all in. All the chips are in.”

He completed his bachelor’s degree in business management and will finish the second year of his master’s in real estate finance and development in 2022.

He took his time making the decision. Being with family aided the process.

“I’ve been trying to clear my head for a little bit. Deciding what I want to do and talking to the family,” Reynolds said. “It’s nice to have my little brother (Jack) around, and my little sister is coming to Charlotte next year. I talked to the coaches and we agreed: Let’s do it one more time. I put as much as I could into it last year, but now it’s time to exceed that standard and try to do even more.”

Three weeks passed between the 49ers’ season finale against Old Dominion and Reynolds’ announcement. To this point, Charlotte is yet to have a scholarship player enter the transfer portal, and with many of the seniors utilizing their extra year of eligibility that the NCAA granted due to the ongoing pandemic, Charlotte has a chance to continue achieving program firsts in 2022.

“If I had one word to describe Chris, it would be relentless,” said former 49er and current Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Alex Highsmith. “From the time he stepped on campus, I knew Chris was going to be special. Being a walk-on like him, I knew what it took to overcome adversity and achieve a scholarship. Not many compare to Chris’ competitiveness. I have nothing but for Chris and I’m thankful to have had him as a teammate. He will forever be a Charlotte legend.”

Reynolds owns nearly every passing record in program history and will continue to add to his legacy with one last ride.

Chris Reynolds records at Charlotte

This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 2:10 PM.