Charlotte 49ers football: QB Jalon Jones among newcomers to watch

UPDATED JULY 28, 2023 5:15 PM
Charlotte’s entrance to the American Athletic Conference started with a bang.
First-year head coach Biff Poggi’s emphatic media day press conference made waves throughout the college football landscape, putting the league on notice for what the 64-year-old coach plans to accomplish in the 49ers’ first year in the AAC.
Poggi has stated on multiple occasions that if Charlotte is not successful in his first year, the program should move on from him immediately. But the 49ers are taking on an “us vs. the world” mentality, and Poggi’s blend of 52 new faces along with several key returning starters slates Charlotte as the AAC’s biggest wild card.
Projected to finish dead last in the conference, Poggi has added 28 players that he coached previously, and he considers the revamped roster “bad company” for the rest of the conference.
“Our kids are the finest human beings you can be around. They’re doing great in school and socially, and they love each other,” Poggi said. “But I will say, inside the rectangle of 120 by 53.5 feet, they are bad company. They are a chippy, edgy group and that’s exactly who I want to coach.”
Charlotte’s offseason program under new strength and conditioning coach Lewis Caralla has prepared the roster for fall camp, which starts August 4.
With less than 40 days until the season opener on Sept. 2, and so much change from the final season under Will Healy and in Conference USA, let’s take a look at three of the newcomers 49ers fans will watch this fall.
QB Jalon Jones
After four seasons apart, Jalon Jones and Poggi have reunited for the first time since their St. Frances Academy days in 2018. Jones spent a semester at Florida before transferring to play under Deion Sanders at Jackson State. Benched after a season in favor of Sanders’ son, Jones departed for Mississippi Delta Junior College before playing for Bethune-Cookman in 2022. He committed to Charlotte shortly after Poggi’s hiring.
“It’s heaven-sent. God has worked my life in a way that I couldn’t imagine to get me to this place,” Jones said. “Everybody on this team has a chip on our shoulder and we’re not just ready to prove the doubters wrong but prove (Poggi) right. He’s given us all another chance to play the game we love with people we love. The fact that we can do it for him is amazing. I am excited to get back out there.”
Although a starting quarterback is yet to be officially named, Poggi and his staff have raved about Jones both on and off the field.
“It’s great to be back with Jalon. He brings a lot of joy to the team and locker room. He’s uber-competitive. He has a skillset that is highly unique — an elite athletic skillset.”
“Jalon’s an exciting piece to this offense. He can run it or throw it, and we can build the offense to be multiple because he can do so much. His versatility is really exciting for us, who get to design plays and watch him execute,” added associate head coach and offensive line coach Kyle DeVan.
Jones’ trash talk keeps practices interesting, but his poise is what impresses linebacker Demetrius Knight. “You have to have short-term memory at the quarterback position. I applaud the work he’s been doing and leading the offense and just taking charge since he got here.”
Charlotte fans have seen just seven passes from Jones, six of which were completions in the team’s spring game in April.
OT JASPER PARKS
Many additions have been made to the roster since the conclusion of spring practice, including a 6-foot-7, 325-pound right tackle Jasper Parks.
Coming from Sioux Falls, a Division II program in South Dakota, Poggi sought after Parks via social media.
“As I was in the portal, (Poggi) DM’d me on Twitter one night and said ‘Hey listen, I like you, I want you and I need to have you on my team. What do I need to do to make that happen?’ As the recruiting process went on, I fell in love with him and his coaching staff and the way that he does things.”
Parks brings an aggressive attitude to the 49ers’ offensive line, patterning his game after Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas.
When asked about the toughest matchup so far in his time at Charlotte, defensive lineman Eyabi Okie-Anoma was his immediate response.
“Obviously Eyabi Okie-Anoma, he’s going to be a monster. Stone Handy, Demon Clowney, Mike Kelly. They’re all going to have great years,” Parks said. “These other quarterbacks in the conference should be worried about all of them.”
DL EYABI OKIE-ANOMA
Charlotte fans have yet to see Okie-Anoma, who likens his playing style to former 49ers standout Alex Highsmith, as he was inactive for the spring game.
“Unorthodox. I play like my hair is on fire. Sideline to sideline. It doesn’t matter where the ball is at, I’m running to it. If someone cuts the ballcarrier off, I’ll probably make that play too,” the defensive lineman said. “I’m the type of player to pin his ears back and go. I don’t like long plays. I don’t like coverage sacks. I want the play over quick. I feel like that’s something that Charlotte hasn’t had since Alex Highsmith, and I’m looking forward to hopefully bringing that back.”
Okie-Anoma, coined the funniest guy in the locker room by multiple teammates, was a five-star prospect coming out of St. Frances and committed to Alabama. After earning All-Southeastern Conference freshman honors in 2018, Okie-Anoma hit the transfer portal following a suspension and eventual dismissal from school. He then committed to former AAC member Houston but never played a down and was ultimately dismissed for an unspecified rules violation. Okie-Anoma eventually landed at Tennessee-Martin, where he got back on track.
“I mean, maturity, I’m gonna be real,” Okie-Anoma explained to the USA Today Network of his early career struggles. “Me, personally, it was just a hard time adjusting to not being able to play immediately. Certain things were said, that didn’t go immediately (well). But, you live and learn, everything happens for a reason. It happened and I grew from it. I don’t let it harness me.”
Okie-Anoma reunited with Poggi at Michigan in 2022, where he played the best season of his career, racking up 18 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks and two pass deflections while appearing in 15 games, including two starts.
With one year of eligibility remaining, Okie-Anoma’s decision to follow Poggi to Charlotte was an easy one.
“Coach Poggi helped me go from a boy to a man,” Okie-Anoma said. “This is the man that was here throughout all my trials and tribulations. That’s the kind of man he is. When he says certain things, you believe it. He empowers you. This being my last year, I wouldn’t ask for anything else. That’s why I left Michigan to come follow him. I love him and I trust his mission.”
As far as transferring from a college football powerhouse to a program with just one winning season in its history, Okie-Anoma sees something special brewing in the Queen City.
“Football is football. I’m at that point in my career. I’m going to put on my helmet and shoulder pads and go out there and play. As far as resources go, Michigan has more resources than Charlotte. But Charlotte is up-and-coming. Being a part of this, it’s something special. It reminds me of what we did in high school when we took St. Frances from an unranked team to a powerhouse. I feel like we’re doing the same thing, and it should be fun.”