Tuesday was a busy day of football at East Carolina University.
🏴☠️🏈 Sights and sounds from the first day of ECU Football spring practice.
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Former ECU football players participated in the school’s pro workout in the morning. In the afternoon, the 2025 football team took the field for the first spring practice. Tuesday’s workout was the first of several that will be held leading up to the annual spring game.
Below is a full report from ECU Sports Information with video and photos from Pirate Radio.
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Photo credit: Blake Harrell (ECU Sports Information photo)
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Under the direction of first-year full-time head football coach Blake Harrell, East Carolina officially opened spring practice with a workout Tuesday afternoon on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex.
Harrell led his squad through a fundamental- oriented two-hour practice in shorts and helmets, the first of 15 schedule workouts, which will culminate with the playing of the Purple-Gold Spring Game on April 26 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
“It was great to be on the grass and between the field outside for practice number one starting the second quarter,” Harrell said. “Our first quarter was the offseason, January and February in the weight room and conditioning in doing on those things and OTAs and getting in preparation for 2025. The second quarter for us is spring ball, obviously the third quarter is our summer program, and the fourth quarter will be next preseason camp.
“I thought it was a really good day one. Guys had good energy, bounced around and got a lot of things done. We didn’t want to overload them too much on day one and run the marathon so to speak on day one. We want to kind of work our way into this thing. We had a good day in helmets, Thursday will be in helmets again and then Friday we will put the pads on. I thought the guys moved around really well and I saw some young guy taking some snaps. We made sure we went on two different field, two different spots at the same time. We have about 117 guys out there and have a few injuries, like you always do in spring, but we are working through those things, which gives a chance to some younger guys some reps.
Second-year offensive coordinator John David Baker welcomes back four players who started at least seven games during the 2024 Military Bowl Championship campaign in quarterback Katin Houser (7 games), offensive linemen Jimarion McCrimon (7), Emmanuel Poku (13) and wide receiver Anthony Smith (13). In all, the Pirate welcome back 19 lettermen from the offensive side of the ball in Darius Bell (OL), Jayvontay “JC” Conner (TE), TJ Engleman Jr. (RB), Garcia (QB), Marlon Gunn Jr. (RB), Houser (QB), Raheim Jeter (QB), McCrimon (OL), London Montgomery (RB), Poku (OL), Desirrio Riles (TE), Kelan Robinson (WR), Jacob Sacra (OL in 2023), A. Smith (WR), Yannick Smith (WR), Brock Spalding (WR), Jayson Tarpeh (OL), Jyron Waiters (WR) Bryce Weaver (OL).
2024 OFFENSIVE RANKINGS
ECU ranked among the FBS leaders (Top 30) in 3rd down conversion percentage (24th/0.451), total offense (24th/436.4 ypg), passing yards per completion (26th/13.30) and passing offense (27th/264.0 pg). The 2024 Pirates also notched their names among the all-time greats in program history in total offense (fifth/5,673 yards), total offense per game (sixth/436.4 ypg), points per game (eighth/32.0 ppg) and total passing yards (10th/3,432 yards).
Defensively, first-year coordinator Josh Aldridge has two players returning that started at least six games from a year ago in outside linebacker/defensive lineman Ryheem Craig (13) and defensive back Ja’Marley Riddle. A total of 22 lettermen return in Jackson Barker (OLB), Josh Benton (DB), Tymir Brown (DB), Craig (DL/OLB), Javion Clark (DB in 2023), Samuel Dankah (DL), Julien Davis (LB), Kieran Davis (DL), Ayden Duncanson (DB), DeMarius Hines (DB), Luke Holmes (OLB), Noah Holmes (LB), DJ Johnson Jr. (LB), J.D. Lampley (DL), Kamaurri McKinley DB), Kevon Merrell (DB), Alex Moye (DB), Ja’Marley Riddle (DB), Jasiyah Robinson (DL), Greg Turner III (LB), Dameon Wilson (LB), Zion Wilson (DL).
2024 DEFENSIVE RANKINGS
The Pirates stood among the FBS leaders (Top 30) in defensive touchdowns (12th/3 scores), red zone defense (13th/0.745), team tackles for loss (14th/7.2 per game), passes intercepted (27th/14 interceptions) turnovers gained (27th/22 total) and 4th down conversion percentage defense (29th/0.457).
2024 SPECIAL TEAMS RANKINGS
Pirate specialists ranked among the FBS leaders (Top 30) in blocked kicks allowed (t1st/0 blocked kicks allowed), blocked punts allowed (t1st/0 blocked punts allowed), blocked kicks (27th/2 blocks) and kickoff return yards (27th/22.74 ypkor).
Additionally, ECU returns five specialist in place kickers Andrew Conrad, Noah Perez and Everett Scott and two punt returners in Riddle and Brock Spalding.
In total, the Pirates begin spring practice with 116 members which include 46 lettermen from 2024. Also stepping on the field for the first time were 31 newcomers in Jonathan Akins (DB), Justin Benton (DL), Key Crowell (DB), Kendric Davis (LB), Chaston Ditta (QB), Kendrick DuJour (DL), Josiah Dwyer (DL), Cole Hodge (QB), Connor Hodge (WR), Derrion Horsley (DB), Parker Jenkins (RB), Tyler Johnson (WR), DeJuan Lacy (RB), Landon Lewis (LB), Kyle Long (OL), Jordy Lowery (DB), Payton Mangrum (WR), Xavier McIver (DL), Kaleb Morrow (TE), Triston O’Brien (LS), Jaquaize Pettaway (WR), Peyton Reeder (OL), Cayman Reynolds (TE), Rion Roseborough (DL), Leivi Semaia (OL), Durante Speer (DB), Jonathan Stokes (OL), Cooper Trnavsky (OL), Teagan Wilk (DB), Johnny Williams (WR) and Dylon Worthen (DL).
Tuesday also marked the first East Carolina on-field practices three new full-time coaches in Aldridge (defensive coordinator/linebackers), Ryan Smith (special teams coordinator) and Tarron Williams (cornerbacks). Both Smith and Williams returned to ECU during the off-season.
Earlier in the day, ECU held its annual Pro Day inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with representatives from all 32 National Football League organizations in attendance. Twenty-one players in Mike Edwards III (ILB), Hampton Ergle (OL), Dustyn Hall (OL), Alex Harper (LS), Rahjai Harris (RB), D’Anta Johnson (DL), Casey Kelly (TE), Devon King (SAF), Jaden McKenzie (DL), Kingston McKinstry (SAF), Elijah Morris (DT), Parker Moorer (OL), Jhari Patterson (WR), Shavon Revel Jr. (CB), Omar Rogers (SAF), Tyler Savage (TE), Chad Stephens (DL), Suirad Ware (DL), Winston Wright Jr. (WR/KOR/PR), Xavier Smith (LB) and Nishad Strother (OL) went through a series of drills and testing that included the long jump, L-drill, 5-10-5 shuttle, 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump as well as height and weight measurements.
ECU will spend its first two “acclimation” practice sessions in shorts and helmets before progressing to shells Friday.