Small-town dreams to starting in D1: How Charlotte 49ers’ Hahsaun Wilson found his place
Hahsaun Wilson found a home at Charlotte.
A running back beginning his redshirt junior season with the Charlotte 49ers, Wilson initially joined the program as a true walk-on after an ACL, MCL and PCL injury during his senior year at South Florence High School in South Carolina derailed most potential recruiting opportunities.
Being a kid from a small town, it could have been difficult to move to a city on his own — and not be able to just drive down the street to his parents’ house whenever he needed anything. But Wilson, who etched his name into program record books in last year’s overtime loss to Memphis, has felt loved since the moment he decided to come to Charlotte.
“I was really just a young Black kid trying to give myself a chance,” Wilson said. “Coming from where I came from, I felt like Charlotte could have really done the best for me. And I really feel like it’s paid off.”
Entering the school’s second season under head coach Biff Poggi and offensive coordinator Mike Miller, Wilson is a key returner in a strong running back room. He’s become a standout back for Charlotte, which held its first intrasquad scrimmage on Monday morning.
A host of running backs
Wilson rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns — the second-best for a single game in program history in both categories — in that battle with the AAC-best Tigers.
He returns to the 49ers’ backfield alongside Terron Kellman. They join new faces in Cartevious Norton (Iowa State), CJ Stokes (Michigan), and Rod Gainey Jr., a speedy freshman out of Tampa Bay Tech.
Many of these tailbacks took handoffs from new quarterback Max Brown during the scrimmage Monday morning. Wilson had multiple big runs, including a touchdown rush into the far corner of the end zone.
“Guys were flying around on both sides of the ball,” said Miller, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator. “Offensively, pleased with where we’re at right now. We’ve got 19 days until kickoff, and every day matters. Every second, every rep. Having a scrimmage under our belt is good to get in that game day environment.”
‘Prove the doubters wrong’
Charlotte has continued emphasizing the importance of learning since last season.
There are different ways in which athletes take in information. Some are more visual learners, others may better understand if they hear concepts explained to them verbally.
No matter how players started to understand the new regime last year, the team finished 3-9. It was picked to finish 13th out of 14 AAC schools this season — but the team is motivated.
“We don’t really listen to the noise outside our building,” Al-Ma’hi Ali, a junior defensive back, said. “We’re not worried about anyone’s opinions. We know what we got here, so we just keep building on that. And then prove the doubters wrong.”
