A school record three Charlotte 49ers were named preseason all-Conference USA by the league's 14 head coaches. Sophomore kicker Jonathan Cruz was voted the league's preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, and he, redshirt senior defensive end Alex Highsmith and senior running back Benny LeMay were named to the preseason all-Conference team.
Cruz was a Second Team all-Conference USA selection and a C-USA All-Freshman team honoree as a rookie, last year. He set school records for field goals made of 40 or more yards (8) and 50 or more yards (3), hitting 17 total field goals. His game-winning 56-yard field goal in the final 25 seconds at Florida Atlantic was the longest in C-USA and the second-longest in the FBS, last year. Cruz was the only C-USA kicker to be perfect on PAT's, connecting on all 27 of his attempts. He was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week three times in 2018.
Highsmith earned First Team all-Conference USA honors in 2018 after breaking the 49ers single-season school record with 17.5 tackles for loss (TFL) on his way to a career-high 60 tackles. He added three sacks, two forced fumbles and a team-high eight quarterback hurries. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Highsmith a grade of 90.6 in run-defense, the highest in C-USA. His overall grade of 89.7 was second-highest in the league. He was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following the 49ers 14-3 loss at Tennessee. Highsmith had seven tackles and four TFLs as Charlotte held the SEC's Vols to season-lows of 192 yards of total offense and 20 yards rushing. PFF named Highsmith to its National Team of the Week and College Sports Madness named him the C-USA Player of the Week after he posted a career-high 10 tackles and tied the 49ers single-game record with 4.5 TFL in Charlotte's 27-24 win at defending C-USA Champion Florida Atlantic.
LeMay, who has been named one of the nation's Top 25 running backs by The Sporting News and 247sports, earned Second Team all-Conference USA honors in 2018. LeMay was second in C-USA and 20th in the FBS in rushing (1,243 yds; 103.6/gm), becoming only the second 49ers runner to rush for over 1,000 yards and average over 100 yards per game in a season. He ranked second in C-USA and 26th in the FBS in all-purpose yards (1,525; 127.1/gm) and led the 49ers with 11 rushing TDs, the most by a 49er at the FBS level. LeMay tied the school record for TDs in a game with four vs. FIU and had five games with 100 or more rushing yards.