“East Carolina should be a bowl program every year.” – College Football News
We couldn’t agree more. It’s been a tough ride over the past decade watching East Carolina football wade through a mire of mostly mediocrity — and endure a few downright awful seasons.
The appointment of Blake Harrell as interim head coach after a 3-4 start last year lit a new fire in the program. East Carolina closed the regular season on a 4-1 tear, then toppled in-state rival NC State 26-21 in the Military Bowl in Annapolis.
The big question now: Did Harrell and the Pirates simply catch lightning in a bottle, or is ECU poised for a true return to conference and national prominence?
Plenty of pieces are in place for the latter pathway — but reaching eight wins again this fall may be a stretch with this season’s challenging schedule. With the start of fall camp almost on the doorstep, we preview the Pirates:
📊 Where ECU Ranks Nationally
- Phil Steele: 93rd out of 136
- Lindy’s: 92nd
- Athlon: 87th
- Projected Win Total: 5.5 (College Football News), 6.5 (Betting markets like BetMGM, Bally’s)
🏈 AAC Predictions
- Phil Steele: 8th out of 14 teams
- Lindy’s: 7th
- Athlon: 7th
🏅 East Carolina Football: Preseason Honors
- WR Anthony Smith: 1st Team All-AAC (Phil Steele, Athlon, Lindy’s)
- DE JD Lampley: 2nd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele, Lindy’s)
- CB Jordy Lowery: 2nd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
- S Ja’Marley Riddle: 1st Team All-AAC (Lindy’s), 2nd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
- OT Jimarion McCrimon: 3rd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
- DE Ryheem Craig: 3rd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
- PR Brock Spalding: 3rd Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
- RB London Montgomery: 4th Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
Notebook: Lindy’s named Anthony Smith to its “Top 10 NFL Talent” list, ranking him No. 2 in the conference … Athlon Sports listed running back Eddie Love Jr. as the AAC’s seventh-best incoming recruit.
📅 Circle Your Calendars: ECU’s Big Games for 2025
Aug. 28 – at NC State: Rivalry? Not a rivalry? Does it matter? Energy fills the state when it’s Pirates vs. Wolfpack on the gridiron. Last season ended with ECU’s bowl win over the Pack in Annapolis. This season launches against the same opponent in Raleigh. Carter-Finley is already sold out. Yes, it’s a rivalry.
Sept. 20 – vs. BYU: East Carolina is 3-0 all-time against the Cougars, including a stunning 27-24 win in Provo in 2022. BYU has been pegged as a top-25 team by many media outlets.
Sept. 25 – vs. Army: Just five days after the BYU clash, the Pirates host the defending AAC champs on a Thursday night in front of a national TV audience. It’s Military Appreciation Day — but ECU fans would love to send this Army unit home with a loss.
Nov. 8 – vs. Charlotte: The Pirates were humbled by the 49ers last season, 55-24. The fact that Charlotte fans like to remind their ECU brethren that their new football program is still undefeated all-time (2-0) against them in football should add fuel to the fire.
Nov. 15 – vs. Memphis: ECU is 9-2 in its last 11 against the Tigers, who enter 2025 as one of the AAC’s top contenders. This mid-November showdown could have bowl (conference title?) implications.
No Quarter! One of the best traditions in college football! Get your season tickets and let’s make Dowdy Rowdy! 🏴☠️ #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/IabiFursyS — ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) June 12, 2025
🔎 Key Storylines to Watch
QB Katin Houser returns to lead the offense
Houser took over midseason, beating out fellow transfer Jake Garcia and never looking back. He completed nearly 61 percent of his passes for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns, showing poise, command and big-play ability. He’ll have no shortage of weapons in 2025, including preseason All-AAC pick Anthony Smith, Oklahoma transfer Jaquaize Pettaway, and rising talent Yannick Smith.
Defensive rebuild underway — but the culture shift is real
Only two defensive starters return, but Harrell has long been the architect of the unit and has clearly left his mark. The Pirates finished top 20 nationally in red zone defense and tackles for loss after a strong second half of 2024. A name to watch: Western Carolina transfer Jordy Lowery, who picked off six passes last season for the Catamounts.
A tougher schedule looms
ECU’s late-season surge last year came against a manageable AAC slate. This year? Tougher overall. September brings NC State and BYU in non-league action, and the conference schedule includes Army, Tulane, Memphis and UTSA — four of the league’s best. The good news: three of those four AAC games are at home.
Can Harrell keep the magic going?
After ECU parted ways with Mike Houston, the team rallied under Harrell, averaging 38.5 points and 481.5 yards per game over the final six. They finished 5-1, capping the season with a Military Bowl victory over NC State. Players erupted with joy after a late-season practice when Harrell was officially named head coach. The question now: Was it just a spark — or a sign that ECU is ready to be a regular contender again?
🗣️ What They’re Saying About ECU
“You want to be a factor in the AAC title chase, East Carolina? Beat the defending champ in the conference opener. Last year Army ran all over the Pirates in a 45-28 win, but that was a first. East Carolina is 8-1 in the series.”
– College Football News
“The thinking around keeping an interim has changed a lot in the portal era. The turnaround under [Blake] Harrell in the back end of the season was hard to ignore, but keeping him on also saved the school money and kept their roster from flipping.”
– an anonymous American assistant coach to Athlon
“Keeping QB Katin Houser in Greenville is a big plus after an eight-win season.”
– Lindy’s Sports
“Contending may be difficult but ECU has some momentum.”
– Lindy’s Sports
“Recruiting looks really good for them, and it should be in this part of the Carolinas. This should be a better program than it has been. If they continue winning like they did after firing [Mike] Houston, it was very clearly a culture issue. This was always a talented program.”
– an anonymous American assistant coach to Athlon
“The Pirates should be able to get back to a bowl this year, but I do not see them topping last year’s eight-win total.”
– Phil Steele
🗓️ East Carolina 2025 Football Schedule
| Date |  | Opponent | Time/Result | TV/Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | at | NC State | 7 p.m. | ACCN |
| Sept. 6 | vs | Campbell | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 13 | at | Coastal Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 20 | vs | Brigham Young | ||
| Sept. 25 | vs | Army* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Oct. 9 | at | Tulane* | 7:30/8 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Oct. 16 | vs | Tulsa* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 1 | at | Temple* | ||
| Nov. 8 | vs | Charlotte* | ||
| Nov. 15 | vs | Memphis* | ||
| Nov. 22 | at | UTSA* | ||
| Nov. 29 | at | Florida Atlantic* | ||
| * denotes conference game |
🔗 Get kickoff times, TV info, and scores throughout the season:
👉 View full East Carolina 2025 football schedule page HERE
🧠 Related Recruiting Coverage
ECU has already landed several intriguing 2026 commitments under Coach Harrell — and more could be on the way. Stay up to date with our latest recruiting coverage:
East Carolina 2026 commitments
| NAME | POS | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | COMMITTED | DATE | STORY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Battle | OT | Atlanta, GA | Woodward Academy | East Carolina | 7/14/2025 | — |
| Michael Foster | EDGE | Fort Mill, SC | Indian Land HS | East Carolina | 7/13/2025 | — |
| Joshua Singleton | OL | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | East Carolina | 7/2/2025 | — |
| Zyon Ratchford | EDGE | Gaffney, SC | Gaffney HS | East Carolina | 7/1/2025 | — |
| Jeremiah Roux | LB | Jonesboro, GA | Mundy's Mill HS | East Carolina | 6/30/2025 | — |
| Djimon McLendon | SAF | Tucker, GA | Tucker HS | East Carolina | 6/24/2025 | — |
| Dawson Quarterman | WR | Loganville, GA | Grayson HS | East Carolina | 6/22/2025 | READ |
| Rai'shawn Elmore | WR | Indian Trail, NC | Porter Ridge HS | East Carolina | 6/21/2025 | READ |
| Trey Burke | QB | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg HS | East Carolina | 6/21/2025 | READ |
| Ja'Vaughn Hargett | OT | Durham, NC | Southern Durham HS | East Carolina | 6/21/2025 | READ |
| David Coleman | SAF | Kingsland, GA | Camden County HS | East Carolina | 6/21/2025 | READ |
| Chad Fairchild | LB | Hampton, GA | Lovejoy HS | East Carolina | 6/16/2025 | READ |
| Preston Broadway | OL | Indian Trail, NC | Metrolina Christian Academy | East Carolina | 6/15/2025 | READ |
| Terande Spencer | EDGE | Rockingham, NC | Richmond Senior | East Carolina | 6/15/2025 | READ |
| Kelton Smith | DT | Gaffney, SC | Gaffney HS | East Carolina | 6/15/2025 | READ |
