Get to Know The 2026 ECU Pirates on The Joe Gaither Show

Let's fire up the Tuesday edition of "The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral" with Theo Fernandez as we welcome Stephen Igoe of Hoist the Colors into the program to get to know the Crimson Tide's first opponent of the season.

The program welcomes Igoe and gets rolling and gives us an overview of ECU's offseason. Igoe discusses Blake Harrell's promotion to Pirates head coach over the last year and change and highlights Harrell's defensive prowess and background as ECU's former head coach. He details the hire of Jordan Davis at offensive coordinator and and frames Pirates program as a team with an established defense, but one with questionmarks all over he offense.

The Pirates, like the Crimson Tide, enter fall camp with a quarterback battle with two players with different skillsets. Mitch Griffis transferred in from Texas Tech, by way of Wake Forrest and looks poised to make Davis' offense hum as a bit of a sneaky athlete who's used to a pass-heavy system, while Emory Williams is a more prototypical passer who's spent the last few seasons at Miami. Both are veterans and Igoe indicated on the show he expects both to play against Alabama in the opener.

We flip to the defensive side of the ball where he highlights edge rusher Kendrick DuJour as he has the capability to disrupt Alabama's reworked offensive line. Igoe discusses DuJour's status on the team as he may start fall camp in the ECU coach's doghouse before broadening and discussing Harrell's defensive scheme.

Igoe concludes our conversation by framing expectations for Week 1, stating that ECU doesn't have to win to make the trip to Tuscaloosa succesful, but instead must compete and challenge the Crimson Tide to walk out of Bryant-Denny Stadium with heads held high.

We're so appreciative of our sponsors who make the show possible. Check out Derek Daniel State Farm in Alabama for your insurance needs. Like a good neighbor, Derek Daniel is there. We're also proud to partner with Purple Turtle Roofing on the program. From your first call to the final nail, our mission is to make sure you feel confident, cared for, and covered, literally.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you'll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.

Alabama Crimson Tide On SI

Add us as a preferred source on Google