Coming off its inaugural season in 2013, the Charlotte 49ers football team will begin spring 2014 practice Tuesday, March 11.
The 49ers will practice for four weeks and will conclude with the annual Spring Game at noon, Saturday, April 5.
A highlight of Charlotte’s inaugural season was the program’s first-ever FCS Top 25 win over No. 24 Gardner-Webb as well as a 52-7 victory against Campbell in the historic first game. The program’s first FCS road win at Presbyterian and a record-setting 61-point performance in the season finale at Morehead State were other highlights. Charlotte finished its first year with a 5-6 record against a schedule that included four FCS Top 25 teams.
The 49ers return 18 starters (nine on offense; nine on defense) from a year ago and have added five December signees to the spring roster: freshman quarterback Brooks Barden; junior defensive back Branden Dozier; junior inside linebacker Nick Cook; rising sophomore defensive end Josh Manley and junior halfback Richard Murphy. The 49ers have a solid set of returnees, many of which are now in their third year with the program. This spring, in addition to the five new signees, the 49ers will evaluate players that red-shirted last season.
“I’ve liked the attitude they’ve brought to preseason workouts,” 49ers second-year head coach Brad Lambert said of the newcomers. “(This spring) we want to find that group that’s going to step up and make plays for us. We continue to get older. Our guys know the routine. They know the pattern. Now we’re infusing that second class in.”
Charlotte, which will compete as an FCS Independent, will open the 2014 season, Thursday, Aug. 28, at Campbell. The 49ers first home game of 2014 will be noon, Saturday, Sept. 6, against Johnson C. Smith. The 49ers will move to FBS Conference USA in 2015 with an opportunity to gain full FBS member status with bowl eligibility in 2016.