A global pandemic didn’t seem to stop Charlotte from landing the biggest recruit in school history.
As reported by 247Sports late Wednesday night, the 49ers have landed the signature of four-star Carthage (Tex.) offensive lineman Ty’Kieast Crawford. Yes, a top 20 prospect at the position has indeed submitted a National Letter of Intent with the Conference USA program.
Crawford, a former Arkansas and Baylor commitment, was previously expected to go the junior college route whenever college football returned in 2020. Instead, it appears a heck of a sell job by head coach Will Healy and company landed the No. 35 overall player in the state of Texas.
There are some academic concerns with getting Crawford eligible according to 247Sports but Charlotte seems hopeful they can get the player into school for the fall semester.
Needless to say, this is certainly a marquee recruit for the Conference USA program still in its infancy. Just by joining the class of 2020, Crawford bumped up the 49ers from seventh to second in the 247 team rankings for the league and appears to be the only four-star committed to a CUSA squad.
Just as impressive for Healy’s staff is that they still landed Crawford’s signature despite an NCAA dead period that prevented any sort of campus visits or face-to-face recruiting. There was likely plenty of Zooms and FaceTimes but still, a potential game-changer for a team that just made it to their first postseason last December.