Charlotte football adapts to new schemes, new philosophies under new coach Biff Poggi

There is something different within the four walls of Charlotte’s Judy W. Rose Center.

New head football coach Biff Poggi — the 49ers’ “disrupter,” according to athletic director Mike Hill — has revamped Charlotte’s roster with a litany of transfers, and Saturday night’s spring game will be the first glimpse of the team’s future.

The green vs. white game at Richardson Stadium will feature four 15-minute quarters, with a running clock in the second half. Poggi and his staff held a draft to build the rosters, with offensive coordinator Mike Miller and returning quarterback Xavier Williams leading the green team, and defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn and Bethune-Cookman transfer quarterback Jalon Jones leading the white.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and admission is free.

Following a disappointing 3-9 record a season ago, the new faces in the 49ers’ locker room are excited to bring optimism to the fan base and success to the field.

“Coach Biff was telling us that this town, all it needed was a college football team. I watched the film and I’ve seen the past here, and it hurt my heart watching that,” said Durell Robinson, four-star running back and Charlotte’s first nationally televised commit. “As a die-hard Charlotte fan, I’m here to change that and the whole team, we’re all in for it. I just hope the stands are packed out and we can put on a show for them.”

Poggi has made it clear that no matter the forecast, which currently calls for thunderstorms and showers early in the day, he expects the 49er faithful to be in attendance.

Here are three things to watch for in Charlotte’s spring game:

So, who’s the quarterback?

A new head coach, new conference, new expectations and a new quarterback? Yes, that’s right, a new quarterback. Chris Reynolds’ six-year tenure ended last November, opening the door for returning veterans Williams and James Foster, as well as newcomers Jones and true freshman Carson Black, a three-star prospect whom the 49ers flipped from American Athletic Conference foe Memphis.

Poggi has stated on multiple occasions that he intends to play three to four quarterbacks in a single game, utilizing the various strengths of each.

Jones hopes to bring experience, leadership and a knack for extending plays to the Charlotte offense.

“One of the most important things that I bring to the team is my leadership. I’ve been in a bunch of different situations and a bunch of different experiences, and I feel like my leadership is something that helps the team,” Jones said. “I’m a playmaker and I’m a true dual threat. I’ve got a great arm and when everything breaks down, I can scramble out with my legs and run for 50 or 60 yards.”

Jones started his career as a four-star prospect and committed to Florida out of high school. He then transferred to Jackson State and played two seasons for Deion Sanders prior to transferring to Bethune-Cookman for the 2022 season.

Williams has spent his two seasons of college football with the 49ers, and started his first game against Maryland a season ago, shining in the absence of Reynolds.

Williams showed flashes of the future last season and is working to prove his value to the new staff, noting that the team is implementing a new offensive system.

“It’s been a great joy working with a lot of the new people that have come in. The offense takes longer to click than defense, but I’ve seen a lot of good things from our team so far.”

While Charlotte’s offense appears to be a work in progress, the players have not been shy about how good they believe the defense is.

Elite defense? We’ll see

“I really believe that the best competition I’ll face all year is on our field right now,” Robinson said of the 49ers’ front four.

Williams called the defense “elite,” praising the new staff, new additions and returning pieces. Elite was not in the 49ers’ vocabulary a season ago, when Charlotte allowed 39.4 points per game, ranking 129th out of 131 FBS programs.

But that’s part of the Poggi effect, at least so far. In the transfer portal alone, Charlotte has added a five-star, seven four-stars, and four three-star prospects to the defense — and there are more on the way.

Eyabi Okie, the lone five-star, played his high school career under Poggi at St. Frances and spent time at both Alabama and Michigan prior to committing to Charlotte. Okie appeared in all 14 games as a linebacker and recorded 18 tackles and four sacks last season during the Wolverines’ College Football Playoff run.

Opposite Okie is another Power Five transfer, Demon Clowney, who is also reuniting with Poggi after three years at Ole Miss.

“We’ve got to grow in a lot of positions, even in my position. The new people we’ve brought in, we can definitely ball. But I think the returnees on the defensive line, there were some good players there last year and while it didn’t show, there are some guys that can play,” said Clowney, cousin of Jadeveon Clowney. “I think from a football standpoint, it will be very good to show the people that this isn’t the same team from last year. We’ve gotten a lot better, and we’ve got more people coming in.”

Another newcomer to note is Georgia Tech transfer linebacker Demetrius Knight, who is known for his one-handed interceptions nearly every practice, according to Robinson.

“Demetrius Knight is going sideline to sideline. It’s hard to get rid of him. He’s going to be that one bug that you can’t get rid of,” Robinson said. “He’s always around making big plays, and he’s known for making one-handed picks every practice. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us this year.”

‘Run the dang ball!’

Poggi plans to bring Big Ten football to Charlotte. That means running the ball — a lot. He even had hats made. That means final scores of 17-3 or 17-6. That means winning in the trenches.

Charlotte added eight Division I transfers to the offensive line, five of whom are 310 pounds or more.

The additions pass the eye test, and Nebraska transfer Kevin Williams has been dominant throughout the spring and was picked No. 1 overall in Charlotte’s spring draft.

Behind the offensive line is a stable of running backs, headlined by the true freshman Robinson, Northern Illinois transfer Terron Kellman and the 49ers’ leading rusher and kick returner from a season ago, Shadrick Byrd.

One thing Charlotte doesn’t currently have on the roster is a bruising, bowling ball of a tailback that is your prototypical Big Ten back. But that could change soon, as the 2017 Charlotte Observer Player of the Year and 2019 No. 2 athlete in the nation Quavaris Crouch recently visited the 49ers. Crouch, 6-foot-2, 237lbs, spent two years at Tennessee and a year at Michigan State, garnering Big Ten honorable mention honors at linebacker, and intends to switch to running back, per his social media.

As Charlotte continues to build through the offseason, it’s evident the 49ers are a more talented team than a year ago. Whether they can adapt quickly to a new scheme remains to be seen.

“This is the most run schemes I’ve ever seen, but I’m adapting to it well. I’m getting in and out of cuts, and if I see a hole, I’m hitting it 1,000 miles per hour,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to feed my family, and that’s how I see it when I see a hole. We got something brewing at Charlotte.”