2025 Charlotte Football Rankings: 49ers Ranked 129th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

This isn't your average college football ranking.

My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:

• Who do I think is good?
• Why do I think they're good?
• What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where Charlotte lands in my Ultimate 136.

Charlotte ranking: 129
Last year’s ranking: 128
Top player: DB Ja'Qurious Conley: Spent three seasons at North Carolina before transferring to Charlotte in 2024; tallied 26 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and a forced fumble.

[Charlotte's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: After hiring a Jim Harbaugh hand who finished 6-16 in two years, the Niners opted for a man who has won at their level in Tim Albin, who has won 10 games in each of the last three years. Other men who can say that usually coach Power 4 football. He was aggressive in the portal, and I know he can coach circles around most. 

But the infrastructure needs to show it can hold his genius before I run and tell that Charlotte is gonna be good with a former Duke QB in Grayson Loftis, a transfer at receiver in former LSU WR Javen Nicholas and a linebacker unit with two former Ohio Bobcats – Shay Taylor and Kadin Schmitz – in it.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

Charlotte Win Total Odds: Over 3.5 (+128) Under 3.5 (-158)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.

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