2014 Charlotte Football Practice

Charlotte 49er Football 🏈
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Charlotte Football season is NOW!!! Charlotte opens camp tomorrow with morning practice scheduled from 7-9 am. Practice will be with helmets only as required to open camp. Expecting to see up-tempo sets testing knowledge of the playbook and seeing who did their homework and learned the terminology.

I will be out at practices and will try to see and hear everything! Let me know if you have any specific players or battles you want me to look out for at practices and I’ll do my best to get some info. If you are going to any practices during camp let me know! Would like to meet some of you guys and see what everyone is thinking about our team!

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How’s Matt and brooks developing. How’s the quality and depth at RB looking. How’s the quality and depth on defense looking.

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How’s Tyler Fain looking? I’m hoping he can provide us a little depth at DT this year (assuming he’s not red-shirted).

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Re: Fain - Absolutely. The D Line is the variable for the success of the season. The JUCO guys will likely do a servicable job replacing Mattox and Hogan on D. The offense has so many pieces with the only caveat being limited depth at RB with Barnwell’s dismissal. Success depends on us developing a real pass rush and stuffing the run.

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An injury report would be nice. I saw that Larry O was participating. Is everyone else healthy that didn’t play in the spring game?

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…and Devon Johnson. David Scott wrote that his Achilles injury was not completely healed. He was really good in the six games he played last season, having him back will be a big deal for our defense.

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How’s Riley Ferguson looking?

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…and Devon Johnson. David Scott wrote that his Achilles injury was not completely healed. He was really good in the six games he played last season, having him back will be a big deal for our defense.[/quote]

Agree, hopefully he recovers fully and is an impact player.

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Good write up.

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I know it’s only the first day of camp, but both write ups have been very positive. Matt Johnson said about 50 guys stayed in Charlotte, and worked together all summer. That will have major benefits, and should limit the rust going into camp.

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Glad everyone is back and healthy for the most part. So happy that football is officially back!!!

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[quote=“MikeNiner11, post:11, topic:28917”]https://charlotte.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1664103

I know it’s only the first day of camp, but both write ups have been very positive. Matt Johnson said about 50 guys stayed in Charlotte, and worked together all summer. That will have major benefits, and should limit the rust going into camp.[/quote]

that’s great to read.

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I think our offense will continue to do well this year. I think the offseason will have proven very beneficial to Matt. Last year, he could only look at film of himself during practice. He didn’t really have to recognize different defensive styles and the things he did well or poorly against different defensive sets. Now he will have played against a number of defensive styles and will have analyzed his performance against that.

We will need our offense to put up big numbers this year because our defense will likely struggle with many of the same issues it had last year. Depth and experience being the biggest issues.

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[quote=“Niner National, post:14, topic:28917”]I think our offense will continue to do well this year. I think the offseason will have proven very beneficial to Matt. Last year, he could only look at film of himself during practice. He didn’t really have to recognize different defensive styles and the things he did well or poorly against different defensive sets. Now he will have played against a number of defensive styles and will have analyzed his performance against that.

We will need our offense to put up big numbers this year because our defense will likely struggle with many of the same issues it had last year. Depth and experience being the biggest issues.[/quote]

DOBA…

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[quote=“MikeNiner11, post:10, topic:28917”]http://gmine.blogspot.com/2014/07/observations-from-charlotte-49ers.html

Good write up.[/quote]
[font=Georgia][size=3px]"-- Perhaps the best example of the new-look 49ers is right guard Daniel Blitch, who played last season at 320 pounds but has bulked up to 345. The increased weight appears all muscle. Whether that hinders his speed and quickness coming off the line, we’ll see."[/size][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][/size][size=2]Here is one reason for the “new-look” 49ers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Pq-I97ItE (Daniel Blitch)[/size][size=3px][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][/size][size=2]More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXnU6HWzU1s (Casey Perry); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bznWplwxgAk Jamal Covington.[/size][size=3px][/font]

Read more here: http://gmine.blogspot.com/2014/07/observations-from-charlotte-49ers.html#storylink=cpy

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[quote=“NinerNirvana, post:16, topic:28917”][quote=“MikeNiner11, post:10, topic:28917”]http://gmine.blogspot.com/2014/07/observations-from-charlotte-49ers.html

Good write up.[/quote]
"-- Perhaps the best example of the new-look 49ers is right guard Daniel Blitch, who played last season at 320 pounds but has bulked up to 345. The increased weight appears all muscle. Whether that hinders his speed and quickness coming off the line, we’ll see."
Here is one reason for the “new-look” 49ers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Pq-I97ItE (Daniel Blitch)
More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXnU6HWzU1s (Casey Perry); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bznWplwxgAk Jamal Covington.

Read more here: http://gmine.blogspot.com/2014/07/observations-from-charlotte-49ers.html#storylink=cpy[/quote]Impressive squat, but does that count as a squat? Seems like he didn’t go down far enough.

Not that I’m criticizing. The amount of weight would literally crush me to death.

Perry is a hoss. Benching 415 pounds is incredible.

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Kevin Donnalley, who handles radio color commentary for the 49ers, has been hired as an intern on Charlotte's strength and conditioning staff. That's a high-level intern: Donnalley was an offensive lineman for 13 seasons in the NFL, including three for the the Carolina Panthers. He played in college at Davidson and North Carolina.

This is so cool. KD is definitely a Niner these days.

Edit - Holy crap on Perry benching 415. That is ridiculous.

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[quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:18, topic:28917”]

Kevin Donnalley, who handles radio color commentary for the 49ers, has been hired as an intern on Charlotte’s strength and conditioning staff. That’s a high-level intern: Donnalley was an offensive lineman for 13 seasons in the NFL, including three for the the Carolina Panthers. He played in college at Davidson and North Carolina.

This is so cool. KD is definitely a Niner these days.

Edit - Holy crap on Perry benching 415. That is ridiculous.[/quote]

He is also still very close with the Panthers. Our relationship with the Panthers has to be one of the best between a college and pro program in the country. It has already benefited our program greatly, and should continue to do so in the future.

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Devon Johnson looks a little hindered by his Achilles today. Lambert said he hopes he can recover to 100% but Achilles is a tricky injury…

Kalif and Ogunjobi participated with no restrictions and don’t have any plans of restrictions when the pads come on.

Offense:

Pretty standard practice today, helmets only but tempo was fast as always. Veterans lead all the drills and are really helping young guys understand drills and helping teach the schemes. Charlotte added more motion in backfield for RB’s and Kalif really helped teach Joc (Moving from H-Back) and Maetron Thomas with positioning.

LG is biggest competition on O-Line. Casey Perry will get fist opportunity to win spot. He won the job in spring but will have to hold off Mason Sledge.Jamal Covington stood out as really helping Freshman with questions and giving technique advice on pass set to FR OT Chris Brown. Most freshmen lineman come in needing to add size. FR Nate Davis has very good bulk on already, still needs more but looks very promising. (Charlotte thought very highly on him as a recruit) Note: R-SO Kyle Hoffman ran 2nd team LT not Wolfgang. (If Hoffman can provide depth I’d think they look to red-shirt Wolfgang.)

Duke and Bostick stand out, after that it will be open competition for 3rd spot. Early leaders are Nesmith, Devine and Thomas. (I lean thinking Devine holds key since he can line up outside and keep Duke in the slot.)

Not much action for H-backs today, a lot of 4-5 wr sets. Bolus should be starter. They worked on blocking most of the day.

Johnson looked good, McNeill played well and led the young guys and really made sure everyone is in position. (He drew praise from Lambert specifically during and after practice.) Barden looked good in drills but struggled in live 7-7’s. He forced the ball too much down field and was late on reads. Left his passes high and if in pads would have had receivers vulnerable.

Defense:

D line worked on leverage and agility drills. fairly plain practice but worked on staying low and keeping hands extended to keep spacing. Wont be much to separate until the pads come on. Mark Pettit remains at DE since moving from OLB late last yr. Adding size, still needs more mass but could be good option on 3rd and long as pass rusher.

Lambert was unhappy with LB’s early in practice, slow on communication had him chewing Caleb Clayton-Molby. Nick Cook going through motions on one man sled also sent Lambert into a fit. Both players are expected starters and improved as day went on. Alcalde looks good as 1 OLB but the other side will be a battle. Jalen Holt, Tyler Destefani and Justin Bridges Thompson are all mixing reps.

Safeties look good and Ardy Holmes continues his strong play alongside Desmond Cooper. CB starters are Tank Norman and Greg Cunningham Jr. Pushed by Terrence Winchester and Devin Pearson.

After practice all the Freshmen stayed out and got extra work in schemes and ran drills together with position coaches. Many vets stayed but longest was Desmond Cooper and Austin Duke getting extra jugs machine reps and running with weighted sleds.

Red-shirt news: Lambert says any player that can contribute will play. Will give players 2 weeks to prove they deserve time and at that time will decide which players will receive a red-shirt.

Funny moments are Off Coordinator Jeff Mullen and Lambert really getting loud. They look to take loudest title from O-Line coach Phil Ratliff if that is even possible!