CarlP's 2026 Position Outlooks 📝

[CarlP]

I thought I’d do a position by position analysis of players lost, and who will be available to replace them, starting with WR:

Lost: Total lost 8 players, 34 starts, 20 other games, 145 catches for 1877 yards

• Nicholas - 11 starts, 1 other game, 60 catches for 740 yards
• Brown - 7 starts, 5 other games, 36 catches for 508 yards
• Mason - 9 starts, 2 other games, 31 catches, 423 yards
• Burris - 5 starts, 7 other games, 14 catches, 134 yards
• Olson - 1 start, 1 other game (inj), 2 catches for 56 yards
• Brooks - no starts, 4 other games, 1 catch for 9 yards
• McGowan - 1 start, no other games (inj), 1 catch, 7 yards
• Evan - no games

Returning players: 2 starts, 20 other games, 11 catches for 177 yards

• Eley - 2 starts, 9 other games, 5 catches for 97 yards
• Hampton - no starts, 7 games, 3 catches, 27 yards
• Hopkins IV - no starts, 4 other games, 1 catch for 23 yards
• Hunter-Gibson - no starts, 4 other games, 2 catches for 30 yards
• Hoffman - redshirted
• Rivins - redshirted

From the portal:

• Zyheem Collick, Bryant, 35 catches for 670 yards
• Jaden Barnes- App St, in the last 2 years, had 113 catches for 1674 yards
• Cam Pedro - Se Missouri St, in the last 2 years, had 149 catches fpr 1711 yards, 1st team OVC
• Jimmar “Tank” Boston - NC State, highly recruited out of HS, seems to have played very little at NC St.

Freshmen:

• Donte Nicholson - From West Charlotte, had 9 G5 offers, looks fast
• Caleb Tucker - From Bryant, Arkansas, Purdue offer, and 2 G5, looks like a possession receiver
• Caden Catoe - From Greensboro, NC, had 6 P5 offers, looks like he can catch and take a hit

Conclusion:

Charlotte lost almost all their significant players from last year, but Eley will be good, and we need at least a couple of the new players to step up. My guess is that Barnes will be one, and either Pedro, Boston, or Collick will nab the third spot, but I expect to see Hampton, Hunter-Gibson, Hopkins, and Hoffman competing for it, too. WR is a position where you will often see True Freshmen on the field, so don’t be surprised if one or more of the 3 Freshmen burns a redshirt.

There is enough talent here that I’m not worried at all about WR. If the line can block, and the QB can deliver the ball, these guys will do their part.

[Niner23]

I looooove our WR adds. Jaden Barnes is a home run

[Nineradvocate]

Carl, that is a fantastic summary. Thanks for doing that.

[ninerfan55]

Me too. I think we did better at at WR thsn any other position. I also think we did good at tight end. Mauldin looks like an athletic tight end that we need

[CarlP]

Next up is the offensive line, which is another complete rebuild:

Lost: Total lost is 12 players, 48 starts, and 39 other appearances

• Mo Clipper (to Ga. Southern) - 12 Starts
• Mason Bower (to portal, no home yet) - 11 starts
• Kristos Fernandez (out of eligibility) - 7 starts, 3 other appearances
• Jesse Ramil (out of eligibility) - 7 starts, 2 other appearances
• Tyler Gibson (to UCF) - 6 starts, 6 other appearances
• Devin Davis (to portal, no home yet) - 3 starts, 7 other appearances (some on defense?)
• Jonny King (out of eligibility?) - 2 starts (inj)
• Eli Samples (gave up football?) - 12 other appearances
• Andrew Cunningham (to N. Texas) - 8 other appearances
• Andrew Adair (out of eligibiltity?) - 1 appearance
• Umar Rockhead (to Norfolk St) - did not play
• Aiden Martinez (to portal, no home yet) - did not play

Returning Players: 13 starts, 20 other appearances

• Dallas Shirley - 12 starts
• Rod Green - 1 start, 8 appearances (had injuries)
• Dom Silvia - no starts, 11 appearances
• Boston Brinkley - 1 appearance
• Omarion Davis - no appearances (injured all season)
• Isiah Bullerdick - no appearances (Injured all season)
• Dominick Kelly - no appearances (Injured all season)
• Issaac Sikes-Rasby - redshirted
• Eli Reed - redshirted

From the Portal:

• J’Ven Williams - 5 star recruit out of HS, but hasn’t played
• Nicholas Cruji - From Maine
• Luke Sandy - was the 6th man last year for Wyoming
• Mathias Nielsen - From Denmark, unheralded, but was very good last year at Virginia Union

JUCO:

• Dylan Nolan-Cook - Was a solid LT last year in JUCO
• Amar Harper - Also played LT. LT is usually where a team puts it’s best OL
• Reginhard Pierre-Nau - no JUCO film I found, but seems mobile and persistent in HS

Freshmen:

• Cody Taylor - Very Strong. Six P4 offers, including 3 SEC offers, plus 9 G6
• Jake Allen - Persistent. Two AAC offers and 6 other G6
• Mason McGill - Mobile and aggressive. Two AAC offers and 3 other G6
• Daniel Phillips - Probably a preferred walkon, should provide depth

Conclusion:

It’s hard to commend anyone on the offensive line last year, other than Ramil, who was all-AAC. Shirley seems to have been OK, and will add stability. Rod Green showed promise, but was injured much of the season. I didn’t notice Silvia, but he did play in 11 games. I think Charlotte needs 3-4 new starters for next year. Where will they come from? Three offensive linemen were injured all last season, and are unknowns. Add to them, 4 transfers that all look good, and 3 JUCOs, plus 3 very good Freshmen, and what do you get? I have no idea.

It’s clear that the number one job for this off-season was to significantly improve the offensive line, so they brought in 7 experienced players and 3 very good freshmen. I thought the transfers and JUCO that they brought in last year would be fine, but the line wasn’t good last year. Partly we can blame injuries, with Rockhead, O. Davis, Bullerdick, Kelley, and King missing all or most of the season, and Bowers and Brinkley missing much of it. In the end, they brought in more players this year, and, I think, better ones. I think the line will clearly be better than last year, but, will it be good enough? That’s a question I can’t answer.

Nearly half the players on offense are on the the offensive line. An offense lives or dies based on the offensive line. This is the position that MUST be good for the offense to produce the way it is needed. If the line can open holes, the rushes make yards and move the ball, and the whole offense works. If they don’t open holes…, well, we saw last year what happens.

I think Rudolph is a fine offensive line coach, so I hope that, out of all of these options, he can put together 6-8 players who can get the job done, and I sure as hell hope the injury bug doesn’t hit them as hard in 2026 as it did in 2025.

[CarlP]

And now, Tight Ends. Albin’s offense relies on good tight ends. At Ohio he had, not good, but great ones. His top three TE from his final year were Kacmarek (to Ohio State), Foster (to Oklahoma State), and Williams (to Ohio State). It’s a hybrid position, that has to block like a lineman, but also be able to make tough catches for first downs. Unlike the last two positions, TE is not a complete rebuild.

Lost:

• Joey Bearns III (out of eligibility) - 2 starts, 10 other appearances
• Jake Young (back to W. Carolina) - 1 start, 9 other appearances

Returning Players:

• Gus McGee - 9 starts, 3 other appearances
• Brady Rhoads - 6 other appearances
• Grant Laskey - did not play
• Jason Jeffares - did not play

From the Portal:

• Lane Wadle - from Ga. State, solid blocker and receiver, 9 catches, 92 yards
• Logan Mauldin - From Myers Park HS/Coastal Carolina/McNeese St, solid blocker, last yr 26 catches for 341 yards

Freshmen:

• Brady Dawyot may end up at TE, but will start at QB. To play TE, will have to bulk up
• Maximus Jansenvanvuren - Prob will be Edge, but is a solid blocker, has good size

Conclusion:

Between Wadle, Mauldin, and McGee, Charlotte appears to be in good shape at TE, and I expect to see Rhoads, too, as Charlotte will utilize 2, or even 3 TE sets. All of these are solid blockers, and that is critical. When the main threat of a TE is to block, they often will get open as a receiver, too, so I look for TEs that can block first, and can catch contested passes even when they get hit. TE isn’t a position where they brought in a ton of talent, but they didn’t need to. Mauldin and Wadle appear to be upgrades from Bearns and Young, so I expect a lot more 2 TE sets this year. TE is not a position I’m concerned about.

Edited - fix an error regarding Mauldin, and reflecting his year at McNeese State.

[CarlP]

Next comes RB. Charlotte had fumble issues last year, and no running room. If the line is better this year, these guys will have more room, and we’ll finally see what they can do. There was a huge turnover here, so it will be mostly new in 2026, but with a couple of key returning players.

Lost:

• Cameren Smith (no eligibility) - 4 starts, 7 other games, 62 carries for 220 yards
• Rod Gainey (to LSU) - 2 starts, 9 other games, 74 carries for 260 yards
• CJ Stokes (still in portal) - 3 starts, 2 other games, 48 carries for 149 yards
• Jack Davids (still in portal) - 5 games, 14 carries for 47 yards
• Duke Guenther (still in portal) - 3 games, no carries

Returning:

• Jariel Cobb - 3 starts, 4 other games, 51 carries for 190 yards
• Henry Rutledge (inj all season) - 1 game, 2 carries for 11 yards

From Portal:

• D’Mariun Perteet - NWCC, then C. Carolina. Did not play last year for C. Carolina
• Chance Williams - Grambling then Cincinnati, 29 carries for 102 yards over last 2 yrs
• Khamani Alexander - App State, 12 carries for 50 yds last year

No JUCO or Freshmen

Conclusion:

My two favorite running backs from last year return, Cobb and Rutledge, but two is not enough; you really need five. While they didn’t add any Freshmen (I wish they had), they did add three players from the portal. Perteet set the NWCC all time single season record at NWCC in 2024 (where he was a teammate of Burgess, Wilcke, Johnson, and Hunter-Gibson), and was first team JUCO All-American. Having watched his HUDL from that year, which I linked below, I’m excited to see him play for the 49ers. IDK that he can beat out Cobb or Rutledge for the top two spots, but I won’t be worried about him carrying the load if needed. Williams did fine at Grambling, but didn’t play much at Cincinnati, while Alexander didn’t play much last year at App State. Albin has a good eye for RB talent, so I’m sure they are fine.

On the whole, I think this is a fine group, stronger than last year, because I think Cobb is a huge step up from Stokes, and I think a heathy Rutledge is as good as Gainey, and the transfers look very solid. With a stronger line this year, we’ll see what these guys can do. Now, a link to Perteet at NWCC:

[ninerfan55]

Mauldin was at mcneese last year and had like 400 yards and 4 tds. Coastal was tge year before. I appreciate the write ups though.

[CarlP]

Thanks. I’ll fix it above. If I make any more mistakes, let me know!

[ninerfan55]

No problem. We appreciate the research.

[Nineradvocate]

Thanks for your positive take on our RB room. I’m not sold. It’s because I don’t see a Benny LeMay, or a Khalif Phillips, or even an Aaron McAllister or a Shadrick Byrd. We badly need a proven load carrier, and man, I miss watching guys like LeMay and Phillips run over and through defenders.

Maybe there is a breakout star in the group. I think we have to have one for Albin’s entire game philosophy to work. So here’s hoping.

It doesn’t help that the OL is a complete rebuild too. Tall order for a functioning offense.

[Nineradvocate]

If Rutledge can suit up and stay healthy for us, he at least gives us a HR threat, though he is better at getting the ball in space than operating out of a run formation.

We still need a feature back that can take the rock 30 times in a game if the situation calls for it.

[CarlP]

And, last of the offense is QB. Ah, QB. It’s always been said that the backup QB is always the fans’ favorite player on the team, because so much emphasis in the offense is on the QB, so any time the offense doesn’t move the ball, the QB gets the blame.

Lost:

• Zach WIlcke - to Northwestern State, 1 start, 5 appearances

Returning:

• Connor Harrell - 4 starts, then Injured 64-96-2, 4 TD, Pass Eff 140.7, QBR 39.1
• Grayson Loftis - 7 starts, 4 other games, 128-232-8, 8 TD, Pass Eff 110.9, QBR 15.9
• Luke McNulty - Did not play

Portal:

• Cole Gonzales - from W. Carolina/Oklahoma/Pitt

Freshmen:

• Jaylen White - had 3 AAC offers, 6 other G6 offers
• Brody Dawyot - Had an offer from Virginia to play for them at TE. Will get a shot at QB

Conclusion: There are few things we can agree on when it comes to who will start at QB, so I’ll start with the one thing I do think we can all agree on: QB will be stronger in 2026 than 2025. With Harrell, Loftis, and McNulty having another year, all will be better than last year, and the combination of Gonzales, White, and Dawyot is better than Wilcke. Add in that the Offensive line will hopefully be much better, the TE’s will be better, and that the RB should be very good, the QB will have a running game to rely on, and thus, not always forced into passing downs, and the QB play will be much improved.

Now lets talk about the individual quarterback candidates:

Harrell - had a rough first two games last year, but then looked very good against Monmouth and in the first half against Rice before he was injured, putting up excellent QBRs in both games, 53.5 against Monmouth and 61 against Rice. He’ll be coming back from a knee injury, but if he’s ready, he’ll be competing for the starting job.

Loftis - A fan favorite last year, for the year, his pass efficiency was 110.9 with a QBR of 15.9. He has a good arm, but didn’t fare well under pressure. With some experience under his belt, and an off-season to develop, he’ll no doubt play more confidently this fall than he did last year, and should be improved. Improved enough to start? I don’t think so.

Gonzales - Played at W. Carolina, the spent last Spring at Oklahoma before ending up at Pittsburgh. At Pitt, he was the #3 QB, and was 11-22-1 in 3 games, with a pass efficiency of 101.0 and a QBR of 23.5. In 2024, at W. Carolina he was 205-332-7 with 12 TD and a pass efficiency of 133.8, and added 212 yards rushing on 64 carries. He’ll compete for the starting job.

White - He’s my personal favorite in the recruiting class. He has a strong arm, he’s decisive, and he is not afraid to run. As a true Freshman, I think they will try to redshirt him, but I think he is going to be very good in time.

McNulty - he’s often forgotten, but he does have some talent. He had a P4 offer out of high school, but ended up at El Camino JC. What he can do is unknown to me

Dawyot - A true freshman, he’s big and strong and can see the field. He’s an athlete, and we will see him on the field at some point. Can he be like Ben Roethlisberger, who was recruited by Ohio State as at TE out of high school, but who opted to play at Miami U. because they were willing to give him a shot at QB? My guess is that he ends up at TE, but first he will try QB.

[CarlP]

I agree that it is best if you have a feature back that can run over people, and it’s best if you have a single back that can tote the ball 20+ times a game. At 5’11” and 212 lbs, Perteet has the build for it, but I’m expecting Perteet and Cobb to split reps, and Rutledge getting mixed in for a change of pace. I’m hoping Cobb puts on a few more pounds this winter, as I’d like to see him a little stronger.

Also, I’m just doing these to summarize the changes. The sections labeled “Conclusions” are just my opinion, and that definitely doesn’t mean I’m right. I fully expect others to have different conclusions.

[Niner23]

If harrell’s injury wasn’t so brutal i think we could’ve seen a real QB battle this year. With the injury I’m almost certain Gonzales will start. The backup spot will be interesting, will White sneak up to QB2 like Purdie did a few years ago or will Loftis/harrell keep him out of it. Hopefully we get an open practice this spring to see if White can spin it

[CarlP]

@Nineradvocate

Thanks for your positive take on our RB room. I’m not sold. It’s because I don’t see a Benny LeMay, or a Khalif Phillips, or even an Aaron McAllister or a Shadrick Byrd.

I looked all of those up, and computed a number I compute sometimes, weight/height:

• Benny LeMay 5’9”, 215, 3.12 (weight/height)
• Kalif Phillips 5’10”, 221, 3.16
• Aaron McAllister 5’10”, 216, 3.09
• Shadrick Byrd 5’10”, 210, 3.00

Then a couple of Ohio running backs that played in the CFL:

• AJ Oullette 5’10”, 209, 2.99
• Maleek Irons 6’1”, 229, 3.14

Now, Charlotte’s Running backs:

• Perteet 5’11”, 212, 2.99
• Alexander 6’1”, 205, 2.81
• Williams 5’8”, 190, 2.79
• Rutledge 5’8”, 180, 2.65
• Cobb 5’10”, 185, 2.64

It seems that we agree that the best running backs are in the 3-3.16 range in terms of pounds/inch of height. The lighter guys don’t have the necessary punch. However, Perteet is right there, and if he has continued to build muscle, he may well be in that range. At the other extreme, Cobb and Rutledge are far from that range.

Now, should I do the same analysis for the defensive side of the ball?

[FSL_Owner]

Yes please! Thanks for the effort Carl!

[Nineradvocate]

That’s an interesting analysis.

LeMay and Phillips were the two most physical runners we have ever had. Though they were both also fast enough to beat a defender to the edge and take off (especially LeMay). Both carried us to victories by themselves at times:

Charlotte RB Benny LeMay Highlight Reel - 2019 Season | Stadium

Here’s a clip of LeMay doing his power running thing and NFL refs ruining it:

Benny LeMay drags the whole team with him!!!

[mojoniner]

Oline concerns me.

[ninerfan55]

I think we upgraded talent and size wise, but have to replace a lot.