Charlotte 49ers football ‘getting close’ as the regular season opener nears
College football kicks off in the Queen City in less than two weeks, and head coach Tim Albin has no interest in showing his hand ahead of the team’s season-opening clash against Appalachian State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Mum’s the word on the quarterback situation, which still features a three-headed battle among ACC transfers Grayson Loftis (Duke), Conner Harrell (UNC) and JUCO transfer Zach Wilcke.
“Not really,” Albin said of an update on the battle. “It’ll be down (to) the wire. We’ll have to get it to two (quarterbacks) and rep two guys. That’s pretty much all I can say on it right now.”
After giving his quarterbacks rare live practice reps in the team’s first scrimmage, Friday’s scrimmage saw nearly 110 snaps, close to the rep count for a four-quarter contest. The scrimmage simulated a home game, with the 49ers practicing the Niner Walk ahead of practice, their pregame and halftime routines, and even the school’s alma mater at the conclusion.
With 56 new faces, a brand-new staff, a question mark at quarterback, and two in-state opponents traveling to Charlotte in consecutive weeks to kick off the season, Albin is looking to instill confidence in his first-year 49ers.
“We threw a lot of situational football at the guys today. We put the ball where the spaces are tight — where the quarterback has to earn his money,” Albin said. “We made progress from last Friday to today. We’re probably on schedule with two weeks left.”
But one thing is for sure — Albin’s team is ready to face an opponent who is not wearing green and white.
“They want to cut loose and get in the flow of it. It’s coming. We’re getting close,” said Albin. “We’re going against each other, but for us to make a big jump, we’ve got to get in there and play a game. And we’re headed in that direction.”
Strength of the team
With practices and scrimmages closed to the media, any insight into how Albin’s first-iteration 49ers are coming together is speculative.
According to Albin, the strength of his team lies in the trenches.
“I think the strength will be offensive and defensive line. That excites me,” Albin said. “It’s football. You’ve got to have solid quarterback play. You’ve got to be good in the back end. You can’t turn the football over.”
If that is the case, it will be a far cry from last season.
Charlotte rushed for just 117.1 yards per game last season, which ranked 106th in the nation and 13th out of 14 teams in the American. They also allowed 34 sacks, which was the worst in the American and 112th worst in the nation.
And the defense wasn’t any better.
Opposing teams rushed for over 210 yards per game against the 49ers a season ago. And getting to the quarterback was no easy feat, recording just 17 sacks in 12 games. Of those 17 sacks, there is no returning production on the edge or the defensive line.
On paper, it’s hard to calculate how Charlotte scored five victories in 2024, tying the program’s second-best season in its brief history.
Returning just a handful of starters spanning both sides of the ball, the 56 new faces, headlined by linebackers Shay Taylor and Kadin Schmitz, defensive ends DJ Burgess and Braden Mullen, and wideouts E. Jai Mason and Javen Nicholas, must make immediate impacts.
Despite the defense again winning the scrimmage, offensive coordinator Todd Fitch is getting a glimpse of how his unit will fare in Week 1 at Bank of America Stadium.
“This is more of a game-week mentality. They’ve all shown flashes that they can help us, but now, when they have to line up on their own and make plays in live football, that will be the tell,” said Fitch. “The install is slowing down now, which is good. As they get comfortable, we’ll see them compete.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 5:43 PM.