NFL-Bound Charlotte DB Dontae Balfour On The Watch List
Preseason accolades continue to roll in for Charlotte defensive back Dontae Balfour who was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back, on Wednesday.
Balfour, a preseason all-conference selection by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele, tied the 49er program record for pass breakups in a season (11) and in a game (4) in 2023, his first with the Green and White. He is already six breakups shy of the school record entering 2024 where he is expected to play a significant role in the upstart Charlotte program under second-year head coach Biff Poggi.
In 2023, Balfour started all 11 games he played and tallied 707 snaps overall. He finished fourth on the team with 54 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles and one game-sealing interception (at Tulsa).
He enters the 2024 season as one of the team’s leaders on the defensive side of the ball as they aim to improve on their massive year-over-year jump of 61 spots from 2022 to 2023 in the national defensive rankings.
Kick Off Coming Soon
Charlotte kicks off the 2024 campaign under the lights of Jerry Richardson Stadium on Saturday, August 31 when they host defending Sun Belt East division champion and Armed Forces Bowl participant James Madison at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at Charlotte49ers.com/Tickets or by calling 704-687-4949. Season ticket packages and mini plans, which include the East Carolina game (Oct. 5) are also available.