Can Biff Poggi’s unconventional style work for Charlotte football?
By Dante Pryor
How good can Charlotte Football’s retooled defense be?
Much like the offense, the defense is full of transfers. That might not be bad for a defense that was among the worst in college football. Charlotte was 129th in scoring defense and 127th in total defense. Defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn has his work cut out for him.
The 49ers have four players returning on defense. Coach Osborn understands the importance of the trenches. One of the issues the 49ers had in 2022 was size. They did bring in some transfers with size. Jackson State transfer Katron Evans is a 320 interior lineman who gives the 49ers size either at defensive tackle or nose guard.
The linebackers might be completely new. Returning senior linebacker Prince Bemah is competing with several transfers to start this fall. The secondary was gutted as a result of the transfer portal. Wayne Jones and Neil Maguire are the only holdovers from the 2022 secondary.
If the 49ers want to compete defensively, they must limit big plays in the passing game. This rebuilt secondary has to limit explosive plays. Opposing quarterbacks completed 70 percent of their passes. Charlotte needs to pressure the quarterback, make more plays in the backfield, and cover deep better.