- Chris Reynolds holds the 49ers' all-time passing yardage record by nearly 5,000 yards.
- Alex Highsmith was a third-team All-American.
- Kalif Phillips holds program records in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
The Charlotte 49ers football program was founded in 1946, but the team went on hiatus until the 2013 season. It was defunct for so many decades due to low enrollment, funding issues, and the school’s emphasis on academics over athletics.
Then, after two seasons as an FCS Independent program, they moved up to the FBS and joined Conference USA. Today, they’re in the American Athletic Conference.
Football betting on college football odds for all 49ers games is now available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
See the top five 49ers below.
5 Best Charlotte 49ers Football Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | 49ers Years |
| 1 | Chris Reynolds | QB | 2018-2022 |
| 2 | Alex Highsmith | DE | 2016-2019 |
| 3 | Kalif Phillips | RB | 2013-2016 |
| 4 | Austin Duke | WR | 2013-2016 |
| 5 | Benny LeMay | RB | 2016-2019 |
Charlotte 49ers All-Time Greatest Football Players
1. Chris Reynolds
Reynolds was the quarterback for the 49ers from 2018 to 2022.
Over that span, he threw for 10,270 yards, which is the most in program history by nearly 5,000.
He holds four of the top nine single-season passing yardage records and six of the top nine single-game passing yardage records.
He also holds the program record for passing touchdowns with 84.
As a runner, he ran for 873 yards (ninth in program history) and 12 touchdowns (tied for fourth).
2. Alex Highsmith
A third-team All-American, Highsmith played for Charlotte from 2016 to 2019.
He was also a two-time first-team All-Conference USA member.
With the school, he had 185 tackles (fifth) and 20 sacks (second).
He holds the single-season and game sack record with 14 in 2019 and three in a 2019 game against Old Dominion.
3. Kalif Phillips
Phillips played running back for Charlotte from 2013 to 2016.
He ran for 4,031 yards (first), including 1,441 in 2014, the single-season record for the 49ers.
He also had 41 rushing touchdowns (first).
Phillips ranks in the top four in total yards (4,031) and third in total touchdowns (41).
The only players he’s behind in the total yards and touchdowns category are quarterbacks.
4. Austin Duke
A receiver for the 49ers, Duke played there from 2013 to 2016.
He caught 253 passes (first) for 3,437 yards (first) and 24 touchdowns (first).
He also holds single-season records in all three categories. They all came in 2014 when he caught 79 passes for 1,373 yards and nine scores.
5. Benny LeMay
LeMay was a do-it-all running back and receiver for the 49ers from 2016 to 2019.
He ran for 3,232 yards (second) and 22 touchdowns (second).
LeMay also caught 54 passes (10th) and had six touchdowns (tied for ninth).
He’s fifth in total yards and fifth in touchdowns responsible for.
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