CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The season kicks off for the Charlotte 49ers football team three weeks from Thursday as they host Gardner-Webb at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
- Incumbent Chris Reynolds led the team in passing yards and touchdown passes last season
- Evan Shirreffs took over when Reynolds went down last season
- With so many candidates, it would be easy for players to have a favorite
One of the biggest personnel decisions new Head Coach Will Healy has to make is who will be his starting quarterback, and there are no shortage of candidates.
Incumbent Chris Reynolds led the team in passing yards and touchdown passes last season despite missing the second half of the year with an ankle injury.
"I'm excited to get back out there," said Reynolds. "When you're sitting in the training room watching everybody play, it's like gosh what I wouldn't do to be back out there."
When Reynolds went down last season, Evan Shirreffs took over. But he wasn't thrilled with his results.
"Definitely have that chip on my shoulder, a lot of guys on the team do," said Shirreffs. "We'll see what happens this year."
The addition of University of South Florida transfer Brett Kean this summer only adds to the QB picture.
"We have mostly the bulk of our offense put in, so getting more and more comfortable every day as we go on," said Kean.
With so many candidates, it would be easy for players to have a favorite. The challenge for Healy is whomever they name the starter, that the team is supportative of the decision.
"I don't think that's something we've had to worry about," said Healy. "I think that the guys trust us enough as a staff that we're going to know that we're going to put the best guy out there to win games."
Healy said Wednesday that he's close to narrowing the battle down to two players and hopes to name the starter in the coming weeks.