Charlotte’s only winning season since joining the FBS in 2015 was a 7-6 campaign in 2019. The 49ers went 6-16 the past two seasons under former head coach Biff Poggi, but a new era begins this fall under a coach that turned Ohio into a perennial contender in the MAC.
Tim Albin takes over a Charlotte program that hasn’t won more than five games in a season since 2019, but he knows what it takes to build a program. He was the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State for three seasons and led the Rangers to an NAIA National Championship in 1999.
He was the offensive coordinator at North Dakota State when the Bison earned a No. 25 ranking in the AP poll in 2004. Albin spent the past 19 seasons at Ohio, first as offensive coordinator and then as head coach beginning in 2021.
The 59-year-old led Ohio to at least 10 wins in each of the past three seasons, including victories in three straight bowl games. Last season, the Bobcats went 11-3, won the MAC Championship, and beat Georgia Southern in the Cure Bowl.
Albin and his staff have their work cut out for them if they’re going to repeat that success this season at Charlotte, including a nearly total overhaul of the offense. There isn’t much experience back on defense, but Albin knows a thing or two about turning a program around. Ohio went 3-9 in 2021 – his first season as head coach. The Bobcats went 10-4 and made the MAC Championship the very next season.
Charlotte Football’s American Conference Title Betting Odds
Charlotte’s odds to win the American are +8000, via BetMGM.
Charlotte Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Charlotte’s win total Over/Under is 2.5.
- Under 2.5 is at +120.
- Over 2.5 is at -145.
Charlotte Football’s 2025 Schedule
Aug. 29 vs. Appalachian State
Sept. 6 vs. North Carolina
Sept. 13 vs. Monmouth
Sept. 18 vs. Rice
Oct. 3 @ South Florida
Oct. 11 @ Army
Oct. 18 vs. Temple
Oct. 24 vs. North Texas
Nov. 8 @ East Carolina
Nov. 15 vs. UTSA
Nov. 22 @ Georgia
Nov. 29 @ Tulane
Bold indicates American Conference games
Charlotte Football Season Preview
Let the rebuild begin. Charlotte doesn’t have a single all-conference performer back, and transfers are going to have to step in and start all over the field, including at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Running the ball and playing stingy defense was Albin’s bread and butter at Ohio, though, so don’t be surprised if his staff finds a way to make big improvements in those areas.
Who Starts At QB?
The first question Albin and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch have to answer is who starts at quarterback? The race is coming down to three transfers: Grayson Loftis (Duke) and Connor Harrell (North Carolina) and Zach Wilke (Northwest Mississippi).
Loftis started the final five games of the 2023 season, but he only saw the field twice last year playing behind Maalik Murphy, who has since transferred to Oregon State. Harrell appeared in 11 games in two seasons at North Carolina. He played in six last fall, including a three-touchdown effort against Charlotte.
Wilke began his career at Southern Miss, where he started eight games as a true freshman in 2023. Loftis opened fall camp with the starters, but all three quarterbacks are getting even reps, per the Charlotte Observer.
Who Carries The Load In The Backfield?
Charlotte thought it had the leader of its backfield figured out when former Louisville and Miami running back Donald Chaney Jr. joined the team before spring ball began, but he has been deemed academically ineligible and is no longer on the roster, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The cupboard isn’t bare, though there isn’t much else in the way of experience left in the running back room. Rod Gainey Jr., Henry Rutledge, and Michigan transfer CJ Stokes are back from last season. Rutledge appeared in all 12 games last season but carried the ball just 11 times. Gainey carried it 10 times in four games, and Stokes, who joined the team in 2024, managed just seven carries before suffering a season-ending injury.
Western Illinois transfer Cameren Smith may also see some carries. He racked up 802 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns last season.
Williford Is A Bright Spot On An Unproven Defense
Linebacker Reid Williford is back after leading Charlotte with 77 tackles and adding 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season. He should be a force in the middle of the defense again. He’ll be joined by Ohio transfer Shay Taylor, who started 14 games the past two seasons for the Bobcats and earned third-team All-MAC honors last fall.
Gavin Willis also transferred in from Bucknell after he racked up 129 tackles last season, giving the 49ers what should be a very strong group of linebackers.
Three transfers are competing to be the team’s top pass rusher: Kadin Schmitz (Ohio), Jaylon Johnson (NW Mississippi), and Braden Mullen (Dartmouth). Mullen is a two-time All-Ivy League pick. He earned first-team honors last season and joined Charlotte with 20.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in his career.
The secondary is full of new starters, led by safety Caleb Curtain, who is a two-time FCS All-American and first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association pick from Elon. He started 23 games the past two seasons and led The Phoenix in tackles both years, racking up 80 in 2023 and 75 last season.
Charlotte Football Season Prediction
I predict Charlotte will not win the American Conference championship, but I think the 49ers will win more than 2.5 games.
Monmouth is the only likely win on their schedule, which begins with a neutral site game against Appalachian State at Bank of America Stadium and includes non-conference games against North Carolina and Georgia, but Charlotte’s defense has a chance to be pretty good, despite the turnover.
If they can figure things out on offense, particularly in the passing game, the 49ers could surprise some teams.
