Former UNC football standout takes the long way home, back to Charlotte 49ers
For the first time since his sophomore season, Ja’Qurious Conley feels at home.
After starting his career in Chapel Hill, becoming the first true freshman to start for the nationally ranked Tar Heels in 2020, Conley’s winding journey has led the Jacksonville, North Carolina native to the Queen City.
And while it was far from a smooth road — suffering a torn ACL and MCL in 2021 and working through a multi-year recovery, hitting the transfer portal and spending a year away from the game in 2023, having his eligibility revoked the day before the 2024 season and playing in just six games after the ruling was overturned — Conley said he’s put the struggles of past seasons behind him.
“Being that it’s the first full season since my sophomore year, I am very excited. I can’t wait,” Conley told The Observer. “I just feel like everything else that’s happened in the past, I’ve moved past that, and I’m ready to work.”
Conley committed to Charlotte ahead of Biff Poggi’s second and final season with the program, reuniting with North Carolina legend and former Charlotte defensive analyst Dre Bly. Conley spent three seasons with Bly in Chapel Hill, learning from the college football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, and credited him with his return to college football.
“It was mostly the Tar Heels ties (that brought Conley to Charlotte). Coach Bly, having him in my corner since freshman year, he’s always been someone I can count on,” Conley said. “I truly appreciate him giving me the opportunity to come back to the realm of football.”
But with Poggi’s firing and Bly’s return to the NFL as assistant defensive backs coach for the New York Jets under former Panthers coach Steve Wilks, Conley had a decision to make this offseason, entering what he hopes will be his final year of college football.
Tim Albin and his staff made it easy for Conley.
“(Charlotte) brought in great people, and that’s exactly what I want to be around. It feels like home. I’m not too fond of being around big facilities or big names; I just want to be around good people. All you need is film, and you can get where you want to go,” said Conley. “The (NCAA) told me I have another season, but I’m going to try and make sure it’s the last one. The league is the plan.”
Conley played 23 games across three seasons with the Tar Heels, starting 11 before transitioning to Charlotte in the American Conference. Known as a hard-hitting safety with excellent ball skills at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Conley brought a toughness to Charlotte’s secondary last season, and despite being picked to represent the university at the American’s Media Days alongside center Jonny King, the redshirt senior wants to earn his starting spot under Albin.
“It’s literally going to be a fight to the end of fall camp — for everybody, including myself,” Conley said.
Training camp kickoff
With players reporting on Monday and training camp kicking off on Tuesday, Conley is focused on the season — and lining up against the players from the other 13 American schools who met in Charlotte this week.
“(The other players) are minding their business. We’re getting really close to the season, so I kind of don’t want to look these boys in the eye until the first game,” said Conley. “I just want to be able to play my best game and show these boys, these coaches, and even myself that all the sacrifices I’ve made — it paid off.”
Charlotte faces a challenging conference schedule this season, featuring road trips against the reigning American Conference champions, Army, and runner-up Tulane, as well as a trip to Greenville against East Carolina, where Charlotte will look to extend their in-state dominance over the Pirates.
But with a non-conference slate that features Appalachian State at Bank of America Stadium in the Duke’s Mayo Classic and a trip to between the hedges against Georgia, Conley is looking forward to the matchup against his old team, and an idol from when he was a child — Bill Belichick.
“It is crazy just being able to play against coaches that have been in the league, done it a long time, and won multiple championships,” Conley said of Belichick. “The Patriots are the team I used to look up to a lot, so seeing them all of the time — that’s exactly where I want to be in life. So being able to go against them and hopefully win, that’s going to mean a lot.”
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.