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Welcome to the next installment of our look into the 2025 Charlotte spring roster!
Charlotte currently has 14 wide receivers listed, 8 of which are returning players from last year and 6 of which were added through the portal. There are presently no wide receiver signees in our 2025 recruiting class.
The Stubbs Rub: Pertaining specifically to wide receivers, 94% of our receptions, 95% of our receiving yards, and 100% of our scoring from 2024 has walked out of the door in some way or another. In the world of NIL, the transfer portal, and now revenue-sharing, smaller Group of Five schools will continue to see their top contributing talent leave for bigger and better.
Charlotte lost O’Mega Blake, Jairus Mack, Isaiah Myers, Duane Thomas Jr., Terez Traynor, and Jack Reynolds to the portal. Sean Brown is out of eligibility.
Coach Albin and his offensive staff have been hard at work trying to pull some players out of the portal to play for Charlotte in 2025 and beyond. Of course, we’ll have spring practice and the portal will open once again, so the staff will have another chance to attack the portal should some more players leave.
Let’s take a look at the new and returning players that will make up the Charlotte 49ers wide receiver room!
New Players
KD Gibson
Junior
Transferred from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Gibson committed on December on 29th, 2024
KD Gibson found his way to Charlotte after his sophomore season at Northwest Mississippi Community College. In high school, Gibson played at Tupelo High School out of Mississippi where he snagged 1,743 yards on 96 catches in his full HS career. As a senior, he helped Tupelo get to the Mississippi 6A semifinals. Coming out of high school, he committed to Northwest Mississippi Community College and in 2024 recorded 43 catches for 500 yards and 5 TDs in 9 games.
You can find his Tupelo HS sophomore highlights here: https://247sports.com/video/kd-gibson-tupelo-high-school-2020-sophomore-season-highlights-10393912/
Jaylen Hampton
RS Freshman
Transferred from Western Kentucky. Hampton committed to Charlotte on January 3rd, 2025
Hampton joins us from Western Kentucky, where he didn’t see any action on the field last season. Jaylen started his career at New Hampstead High School. As a junior, he caught 48 passes for 712 yards with 10 TDs as his team scored a berth in GA’s 4A playoffs. His senior season he had better production with 73 catches for 1,158 yards and 14 TDs. He also scored 5 rush TDs on 11 attempts and gained a total of 86 rushing yards. The 247 Composite awarded Hampton 3 stars out of high school in the class of 2024.
E. Jai Mason
Grad student
Transferred from Samford. Mason committed to Charlotte on January 6th, 2025
Mason joins us this upcoming season after two years at Samford and three at NWMCC. In high school, Mason played for Clinton HS out of Jackson, MS where he caught 28 passes for 465 yards with 2 TDs, and accumulated 771 all-purpose yards during his senior season. He was voted his team’s MVP in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic. Coming out of high school, the 247Sports Composite deemed him a 3* recruit. He was the 120th-ranked WR and the 23rd-best recruit out of Mississippi in the class of 2020. In 3 seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College, he hauled in 97 catches for 1153 yards and 11 TDs. He then transferred to Samford where over 2 seasons he caught 68 passes for 607 yards and 8 TDs.
You can see some of Mason’s highlights here: http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jgcgt
Jayden McGowan
Senior
New transfer from Boston College. McGowan committed on January 10th, 2025
McGowan comes to us by way of Boston College by way of South Carolina (for maybe a day) by way of Vanderbilt. Jayden is from Laurens, SC, and played for Laurens District 55 HS. McGowan is a former 3*, former No.6 WR from the state of SC, and a former Top 100 WR nationally. He is also a former track and field state champ, winning two SC 4A State Championship titles, running the 100-meter in 10.61 seconds and the 200-meter in 21.64 seconds. In his two seasons at Vanderbilt, he had 80 receptions for 836 yards and 3 TDs. He was also dangerous in the kickoff game, with almost 850 yards from scrimmage and a TD.
Nate Spillman
RS Freshman
New Transfer from Tennessee. Committed to Charlotte January 27th, 2025
Nate Spillman comes to Charlotte from the University of Tennessee. Spillman spent his HS career at Lipscomb Academy out of Tennessee where he was a part of two 2A State Championships. If the name Lipscomb rings a bell, it’s because that’s where Trent Dilfer was before taking the head coaching job at UAB. Coming out of high school he was a consensus 3* prospect and the No. 28 rated player in the state of Tennessee. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee in 2023. He spent his time there buried in the depth chart. While he did play 8 snaps in 2024, he did not record any stats.
Jeremiah Hoffman*
* We won’t see any action from Jeremiah in the spring. We can expect to see him on campus in the summer. He’s the lone wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class.
Jeremiah comes to us from Cherry Creek High School out of Englewood Colorado. The 247Sports Composite awarded him 3 stars and have him ranked as the 9th-best player out of Colorado this year. He’s capped his high school career with the Colorado 5A State Championship, after Cherry Creek defeated Legend High School 13-10. Hoffman had 2 receptions in that game for 50 yards, with most of them coming from a long play of 42 yards. He’s got the ability to go over the top for catches and he has success finding separation as well. As if he needed it, his ability to catch in traffic is fantastic as well.
Check out Jeremiah’s senior year highlights here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/16577644/Jeremiah-Hoffman
Returning Players
Justin Olson
RS Fifth Year Senior
2024 Transfer from MTSU. Olson committed on December 11th, 2023
Olson came to Charlotte before last season from Middle Tennessee State by way of North Carolina. Justin is a local guy from North Mecklenburg HS. At North Meck, he snagged 114 catches for 1722 yards and 18 TDs over his final 2 seasons. He was named the NC 4A’s Specialist of The Year. He spent four years at UNC where he had 10 receptions and a TD for the Tar Heels. He then transferred to MTSU where he had 43 catches for 450 yards and another TD. Last year he caught 2 passes for 35 yards for the 49ers.
Will Hawkins IV
RS Sophomore
2024 Transfer from Miami. Hawkins committed to Charlotte on April 29th, 2024
Hawkins comes to us from the University of Miami. He played football at Heritage High School out of Wake Forest, NC, and then at Palmetto Preparatory Academy out of Columbia, SC. Hawkins was a member of the recruiting class of 2022. Hawkins had recruiting heat from FIU, Western Carolina, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, and ECU but committed to ‘The U’ out of HS. He didn’t record any stats in his 2 years at Miami.
Check out some of Hawkins’ high school highlights here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/15489631/William-Hawkins
Adam Hopkins IV
RS Sophomore
2024 transfer from Colorado. Hopkins committed on May 19, 2024
Hopkins comes from Deion Sanders (I have to throw in his name for the SEO) and the Colorado Buffalos. He was a two-way player coming out of Thomas County Central HS in Georgia. Over his HS career, he accumulated 1555 receiving yards on 111 receptions in 36 games. On defense, he had 31 tackles, 2 INTS, and 8 pass breakups. He was invited to the 2023 Under Armor All-American Game. Coming out of HS he was a 4* according to the 247Sports Composite and was the 36th ranked WR and 25th ranked player coming out of GA in the class of 2023. He appeared in 3 games at Colorado, mostly on special teams. He had 4 tackles, 3 unassisted. Last year for Charlotte he recorded 2 receptions in 5 games for 8 yards.
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Ike White
Redshirt Junior
Transferred from Minnesota. Committed to Charlotte January 5th, 2023
Before committing to Charlotte, Ike committed to Minnesota out of high school and was on their roster for the 2022 season. In high school, White helped Saint Frances Academy get to a national no. 5 ranking. The 247Sports Composite ranked him the 120th-ranked WR and 19th-best player out of Maryland in the class of 2022.
Xander Lamb
RS Junior
Charlotte Recruiting Class of 2022
Lamb is a local guy out of Concord, NC. He attended Concord Academy which was a part of a program that co-op’d with Cannon School. In his senior season, he finished with 1,130 receiving yards and 16 TDs. With his help, the program won the NCISAA Division II State Championship. In that game, Xander finished with 2 TDs and a game-winning INT. He didn’t see the field in his freshman season at Charlotte and used his redshirt. Lamb did play in 8 games in 2024 but only had 2 catches.
You can catch Xander’s best high school plays here: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11029532/61819369bd6a6f04c0847ba3
Miles Burris
Sophomore
Charlotte Recruiting Class of 2024
Burris is a former 3* out of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, FL. He nabbed 119 receptions for 1,854 yards and 25 TDs in his high school career. Burris took Trinity to the FL AA State Semifinals as a senior. During his freshman year at Charlotte, he had 2 receptions for 64 yards with a long of 48.
Check out Miles’ high school career highlights here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/14943405/Miles-Burris
Derrick Eley
(I’d have Derrick’s team picture here if he had one available.)
RS Freshman
Charlotte Recruiting Class of 2024
Eley was a two-way player for the Charlotte area’s Hopewell HS. As a senior, he caught 15 receptions for 432 yards (28.8 yards a catch!) and 2 TDs. He also made 17 tackles (16 solo) and broke up 4 passes with 1 INT and 1 forced fumble. It looks like he did not play in 2024 and will use his redshirt.
Check out Derrick’s high school highlights here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/17930014/Derrick-Eley
Evan Austin
RS Freshman
Charlotte Recruiting Class of 2024
Evan started his career at Oakdale High School out of Ijamsville, Maryland. He helped lead Oakdale to a 14-0 record and MD 3A State Championship. During his senior year, he was awarded the honor of 1st Team All-State and Offensive Player Of The Year. In the state of Maryland, Austin is the only player to rush for 3,000 and run for 3,000 yards in their high school career. A 3-star athlete coming out of high school, the 247Sports Composite lists him as the 101st-ranked Athlete and 36th-best ranked player in Maryland. He didn’t see any action for Charlotte in 2024.
Check out some of Evan’s high school highlights here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/12222710/Evan-Austin
Jacob Hamilton
RS Freshman
Charlotte Recruiting Class of 2024
Hamilton played at Dutch Fork High School out of Irmo, SC. There, he helped Dutch Fork win back-to-back 5A State Championships and one second-place finish. His high school career stats were as follows, 90 catches for 1,477 yards and 10 TDs. Actually, while at Dutch Fork, he accumulated over 2,000 all-purpose yards. He saw no action for Charlotte in 2024.
Check out Jacob’s high school senior year highlights here: http://www.hudl.com/video/3/11724826/6541d35d0dc9ee053c3bb9bb
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