Handy on deck: Why third stop looks like the charm for one Charlotte 49ers linebacker

If you’re wondering who the X factor on Charlotte’s defense is, the answer is just a Stone’s throw away.

From the All-Name Team to the preseason All-AAC Team, Jaren “Stone” Handy’s skipping journey has landed him as one of the most important pieces of Biff Poggi’s second-year Charlotte 49ers. After flashing on some of Charlotte’s biggest stages a season ago, Handy is ready to take another step toward his goal in his penultimate college season — wrecking games.

Handy started his career at Auburn under Gus Malzahn as a four-star prospect from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a high school standout, Handy was ranked as a consensus top-100 player in the nation with offers from Alabama, Florida and Georgia, among others. Following two seasons and 14 games with the Tigers, Handy hit the portal and joined Indiana in the Big 10 under Tom Allen. Despite playing his best season to date with the Hoosiers, Handy’s stay in Bloomington was short-lived. The 6-foot-5 linebacker was dismissed from Indiana and back in the portal after just one season, and that’s when former Charlotte head coach Will Healy came calling.

Although ineligible due to the second transfer, Handy joined Charlotte’s program in 2022. Sidelined during a disastrous season for the 49ers, Handy’s debut in green and gold came under Poggi and defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn, who’s helped him realize additional facets of his game.

“I feel like my game came up a lot since last year, with me being 220 pounds (last season). Now, I’m 252 pounds. I’m a lot better than what I was last year, and a lot stronger,” Handy said. “Last year I had problems getting off blocks, the (tackles) would grab me and I’d have trouble getting to the quarterback. That’s something I worked on, and then playing the run, too.

“I always thought of myself as a great pass rusher — just wanting to get sacks. Now, talking to (Ryan) Osborn and (Wayne) Dorsey, I want to be more of a complete player. Just knowing what’s going on on the field, because the majority of last season, I was just trying to get to the quarterback.”

Handy, now upward of 250 pounds and wreaking havoc in practice, has drawn praise from teammates and staff all offseason, including a preseason All-AAC second-team nod from Phil Steele. Known as a fiery individual, the mental side of the game is key for the redshirt senior. And it involves not just keeping his head on straight, but excelling in the single category that will make or break a pass rusher’s draft stock.

Pass rusher’s mentality

Much like the mental battle that former 49er Alex Highsmith endures at the next level with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Handy is still working to put his name on NFL Draft boards. As an outside linebacker and edge rusher, accruing sacks is Handy’s lifeline.

But the reality is, no matter how many times you win as a rusher, you’re not always going to get to the quarterback.

“At first it was hard, just not getting there every time — because I know I can,” Handy said of getting to the quarterback. “But for me it’s just relaxing, knowing I can’t get a sack every play. You might get a pressure or a batted ball, but just knowing that if I can cause havoc on the quarterback in any type of way, I’ll be good. As long as I’m getting tackles for losses, playing the run and tearing off blocks – I feel like I can be better at that, too.”

While battling with offensive linemen snap after snap, it’s also a battle of not getting too high or too low, which Highsmith elaborated on in a recent episode of the Green Light Podcast.

“For me, I don’t want to let it get to my head too much,” Highsmith said of getting to the quarterback. “There was a couple of games where I feel like I was rushing really well last year and beating my guy, and just not hitting home. It’s just keeping my head, my confidence and knowing who I am. It’s not really worrying about what is being said. I know the type of player I am, and I know my best ball is still in front of me. I just want to always get better. That’s what kills guys in this league – getting complacent. I never want to be that type of guy.”

Highsmith, who left Charlotte as the program’s all-time leader in sacks in 2019, has followed Handy’s game since Handy joined the team in 2022. And with the former walk-on turned third-round draft pick returning for Charlotte’s opener against James Madison on Saturday, the two will cross paths yet again.

“I’ve seen some of the plays he’s made, and I’ll be tuned in to watch him this year,” Highsmith said of Handy. “I hope he’ll continue to make plays and take a jump this season. He’s got a lot of talent and potential.”

Stone’s shot

After recording 29 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks a season ago, Handy will be relied on as Charlotte’s best pass rusher in Osborn’s second year as defensive coordinator. After wearing No. 11 a season ago, Handy has swapped to No. 7, in favor of one of his favorite pass rushers, former Carolina Panther and Philadelphia Eagle Haason Reddick.

The question for Handy is simple — can he wreck games and spearhead opponents’ scouting reports? If so, Charlotte has a chance to build on Osborn’s first-year defensive success.

“Of course I can,” Handy said of wrecking games. “I could have done it last year, but I was dealing with a lot of stuff. But now I feel like I’ll be playing a lot more and I’ll have a lot more opportunities to do that, be that type of person and help out the team.”