(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
QB Katin Houser, WR Anthony Smith, WR Yannick Smith, OT Emmanuel Poku, DE Ryheem Craig, DE Samuel Dankah, DE JD Lampley, FS Ja’Marley Riddle, PR Brock Spaulding, and PK Andrew Conrad.
Key Players Departing:
QB Jake Garcia, RB Rahjai Harris, WR Jhari Patterson, WR Chase Sowell, WR/KR Winston Wright Jr., TE Casey Kelly, OC Dustyn Hall, OG Hampton Ergle, OT Parker Moorer, DE Chad Stephens, DT CJ Mims, DT Elijah Morris, NT D’Anta Johnson, LB Zakye Barker, LB Mike Edwards III, CB Isaiah Brown-Murray, CB Shevon Revel Jr., FS Devin King, SS Jordan Huff, SS Omar Rogers, and PT Luke Larsen.
Top 10 Targets:
3 Star Recruits: RB Eddie Love Jr. (Ft. Walton Beach, Florida), CB Derrion Horsley (Sharpsburg, Georgia), EDGE Kendrick DuJour (Sam Houston transfer), CB Jordy Lowery (Western Carolina transfer), WR Jaquaize Pettaway (Oklahoma transfer), EDGE Dylon Worthen (Bradenton, Florida), TE Cayman Reynolds (Calhoun, Georgia), WR Johnny Williams (Havelock, North Carolina), DS Durante Speer (Decatur, Georgia), and WR Connor Hodge (Louisville, Kentucky).
2024 Results:
G01 NORFOLK STATE W 42-3
G02 @ Old Dominion W 20-14
G03 APPALACHIAN STATE L 19-21
G04 @ Liberty L 24-35
G05 UTSA W 30-20
G06 @ Charlotte L 24-55
G07 @ #23 Army L 28-45
G08 TEMPLE W 56-34
G09 FAU W 49-14
G10 @ Tulsa W 38-31
G11 @ North Texas W 40-28
G12 NAVY L 20-34
BOWL vs. NC State L 20-34
Team Info:
2024 Record: 8-5 (5th in AAC)
Home: 4-2
Away: 3-3
Neutral: 1-0
AAC: 5-3
Non-AAC: 3-2
Head Coach: Blake Harrell
East Carolina: 5-1
Bowls: 1-0
Career: 5-1
(Photo Credit: 247Sports)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 4 Katin Houser (RS JR/TR)
RB: 34 London Montgomery (RS SO/TR)
WR: 9 Anthony Smith (GR/TR)
WR: 15 Yannick Smith (SO)
WR: 12 Jaquaize Pettaway (JR/TR)
TE: 6 Desirrio Riles (JR)
LT: 69 Emmanuel Poku (RS JR)
LG: 75 Kyle Long (RS SR/TR)
OC: 70 Kameron Durant (RS SO)
RG: 56 Leivi Semaia (JR/TR)
RT: 62 Jimarion McCrimon (RS SO)
KR: 21 Marlon Gunn Jr. (SR)
PK: 95 Andrew Conrad (SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 9 JD Lampley (SR)
NT: 52 Xavier McIver (RS SR/TR)
DT: 95 Justin Benton (RS SO/TR)
DE: 32 Ryheem Craig (RS SR/TR)
LB: 23 Dameon Wilson (RS SR/TR)
LB: 12 Kevon Merrell (SO)
NB: 19 DeMarius Hines (SO)
CB: 24 TyMir Brown (RS SR/TR)
CB: 15 Jordy Lowery (RS JR/TR)
FS: 2 Ja’Marley Riddle (SO)
BS: 3 Teagan Wilk (GR/TR)
PR: 33 Brock Spaulding (RS JR)
PT: 48 Tomas O’Halloran (RS FR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: C
Punters: C
Schedule:
08/28 @ NC State Wolfpack | East Carolina trails the series 13-19. The Pirates lost (20-21) the last meeting in 2022, and they lost (6-34) the prior meeting in 2019.
09/06 CAMPBELL CAMELS | East Carolina trails the series 2-3. The Pirates (won) 49-10 the last meeting in 2022, and they lost (0-13) the prior meeting in 1939.
09/13 @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | East Carolina won (53-29) the only prior meeting in 2022.
09/20 BYU COUGARS | East Carolina leads the series 2-1. The Pirates won (27-24) the last meeting in 2022, and their only series loss (38-45) was at the inaugural meeting in 2015.
09/25 ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS | East Carolina leads the series 8-1. The Pirates lost (28-45) last season’s meeting, and the won (38-28) the prior meeting in 2004
10/09 @ Tulane Green Wave | East Carolina leads the series 12-8. The Pirates are 1-5 since 2017, and their last series win (52-29) was in 2021.
10/16 TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE | The series is tied 9-9. The Pirates are 2-4 since 2015, and their last series loss (27-29) was in 2023.
11/01 @ Temple Owls | East Carolina leads the series 11-9. The Pirates are 4-5 since 2015, and their last series loss (17-27) was in 2019.
11/08 CHALOTTE 49ERS | East Carolina trails the series 0-2. The Pirates lost (24-55) last season’s meeting, and they lost (7-10) the inaugural meeting in 2023.
11/15 MEMPHIS TIGERS | East Carolina leads the series 17-8. The Pirates won (47-45) the last meeting in 2022, and they won (30-29) the prior meeting in 2021.
11/22 @ UTSA Roadrunners | The series is tied 1-1. The Pirates won (30-20) last season’s meeting, and they lost (27-41) the inaugural meeting in 2023.
11/29 @ FAU Owls | East Carolina leads the series 3-0. The Pirates won (49-14) last season’s meeting, and they won (22-7) the prior meeting in 2023.
Predictions:
Home: 3-3
Away: 0-6
Neutral: 0-0
AAC: 2-6
Non-AAC: 1-3
Overall: 3-9 (12th in AAC)
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