Unfinished business: Why wide receiver Victor Tucker is returning to Charlotte 49ers
Victor Tucker is back for one final season with the 49ers.
The senior wideout will join quarterback Chris Reynolds for a sixth year in the Queen City, hoping to close out his last ride with a career-best season and conference championship.
The two have combined for some of the most memorable moments in 49ers’ history, and Tucker’s decision hinged heavily on Reynolds’.
Preparing for the next level was a point of emphasis, and having the resources and coaching staff aligned with his goals was key for the Miami native.
Tucker was used primarily as a slot receiver in 2021, which would likely be his fit at the NFL level.
He started his career in the slot, then transitioned to the X receiver where he saw plenty of one-on-one matchups in three-by-one formations. In 2019 when he recorded his career-best 909 yards and 7 touchdowns, Tucker was primarily at the strength of the formation as the outside receiver. He was in motion with regularity, creating matchup problems and effectively stretching the field vertically.
He wants to get back to that in 2022. He wants the ball, and he wants it when it matters most.
With Tucker returning, Charlotte has an embarrassment of riches at the receiver position featuring breakout star Grant DuBose and Conference USA Freshman of the Year Elijah Spencer.
Reynolds was excited that his former practice-squad teammate would return, but neither are back for another 5-7 season.
“Let’s get back to it,” Reynolds said. “We still have goals to achieve and we share that mindset. We came here in 2017 and now have a unique opportunity to get another crack at it. There’s a hunger knowing that we can do so much more than we did last year. We can really put something together with all the veterans returning.”
Tucker has accounted for 2,660 career receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in his four seasons at Charlotte. Following the six-game 2020 season and an injury-ridden end to 2021, Tucker has one more year to boost his NFL Draft stock.
“I wanted to leave the mark of creating a winning culture. Showing guys what winning habits look like on a day-to-day basis,” Tucker said. “When I first came here, I was always looking for that one person, that older guy that I could just follow and he’d show me the ropes. Honestly, I never felt like I had that when I got here. So I just wanted to show the younger guys how it looks to perform at a high level and bring that every day.”
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 1:35 PM.