Brandt Bronico is a North Carolina native, Charlotte 49er, and now one of the first players on the Charlotte FC roster as the MLS comes to the Queen City in 2022. Brandt joins the podcast to discuss how thrilled he is to play pro soccer in Charlotte, why he thinks the MLS will be a hit here, and how he got his agent to get him traded to play for Charlotte FC!

More sports news from WCNC Charlotte: https://www.wcnc.com/sports 

Follow Nick Carboni on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickcarboniwcnc 

In this week’s special episode, WCNC Sports Director Nick Carboni leads a mock draft war room with Julian Council (Locked On Panthers), Eugene Robinson (NFL veteran) and John Ellis (One Panthers Place). With 10 minutes on the clock, the group tries to simulate the discussion the Carolina Panthers will have as they discuss what to do with the No. 8 overall pick. Will they take another quarterback, Justin Fields? Will they take a defensive player? Will they trade out of the Top 10? Each member of the group has a role to play as they debate what to do.

Former West Charlotte HS star basketball player Justin Gray joins WCNC Charlotte’s Off the Clock podcast one week into his new job as the head coach at Western Carolina University. Gray talks to Sports Director Nick Carboni about growing up on Beatties Ford Road, his stellar collegiate career at Wake Forest where he was teammates and friends with Chris Paul, and his basketball journey which took him to over a dozen teams overseas in Europe and Asia.

Follow more sports updates from WCNC Charlotte online: https://www.wcnc.com/sports

Joe Cox was one of the best high school football players in the United States, when he played for the record-breaking Independence teams in Charlotte in the early 2000s. He then went on to play college at the University of Georgia, and is now back home and on staff for the Charlotte 49ers. He joins the WCNC Off the Clock podcast to discuss chasing perfection in high school, lessons learned in college, and his coaching journey.

Charlotte resident Samuel Grubbs is a content creator with 7 million TikTok followers. Turner Sports called him ahead of the NCAA Tournament and challenged him to make a Rube Goldberg-style, chain-reaction puzzle for the beginning of March Madness coverage. Grubbs details how he did it, the odd items he had to acquire and the 16,000-square foot warehouse in Charlotte that he used to make it happen – all just before the deadline.

Gardner-Webb basketball coach Tim Craft joins Off the Clock with Nick Carboni to talk about the NCAA Tournament, and the Runnin’ Bulldogs dealing with a pandemic season. Two years ago Craft and his team cut down the nets as the Big South champion, and nearly upset No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. 

For the biggest sports news from across the Carolinas, follow Nick on Twitter @NickCarboniWCNC

Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 for his first career NASCAR Cup Series win in 358 starts. McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Love's Ford for Front Row Motorsports, talks with WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni about transitioning that Daytona victory into a strong start to the season. 

After four races, McDowell sits 9th in the NASCAR championship standings and is a lock for the playoffs by virtue of winning the season opener at Daytona. He joins Off the Clock with Nick Carboni before Sunday's Instacart 500 at Phoenix Raceway to discuss his strong start and where he believes his team could wind up when the dust settles on 2021. 

For the latest Charlotte sports updates, including breaking news about the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets and college sports, follow Nick on Twitter, @NickCarboniWCNC. 

National championship-winning player Matt Doherty joins Nick Carboni to discuss his playing career at the University of North Carolina! During this conversation, Doherty also talks about his time coaching the Tar Heels and Notre Dame. 

Nick and Matt also discuss his new book, "Rebound." 

Happy Presidents' Day! If you have Monday off, be sure to thank George Washington sometime today. Carolyn Bruck connects the dots on this presidential holiday and why it wasn't always celebrated on a Monday.

Thousands of students will head back to the classroom for the first time this year, as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools resume in-person learning for elementary students. Billie Jean Shaw joins the program with details on how the district plans to keep students, teachers and staff safe from COVID-19. 

North Carolina Republicans will meet Monday evening with the possibility of censuring Sen. Richard Burr. He was among seven Republican senators who voted in favor of convicting former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial Saturday. Burr, who is retiring after his term is up, said "the evidence is clear" Trump incited a mob at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 while lawmakers were certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Michael McDowell scored a huge upset in the Daytona 500, getting through a last-lap crash between Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski to earn his first career win. Rachel Lundberg has all the biggest moments from social media as McDowell stunned the racing world in NASCAR's biggest race. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT. 

We're just days away from the 2021 Daytona 500 and another NASCAR season. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney joins Nick Carboni to discuss how it would feel to win the Daytona 500 and being in the driver's seat at the end of a chaotic race. Blaney, who has a reputation for some of the most recognizable facial hair in NASCAR might have some competition from his good pal, and defending champion, Chase Elliott. What's Blaney think about Chase's new look?