East Carolina Preview: What New Challenges Will NC State Face?
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In just hours, East Carolina and NC State will begin each of their respective seasons as the two clash for the second time in a matter of months to kick off the 2025 season. Wolfpack fans don’t need a reminder of the Military Bowl, but it’s time to rip the band-aid off. East Carolina beat the Wolfpack 26-21, giving NC State its first under .500 season since 2019 and only the third in head coach Dave Doeren’s time at the helm.
A lot can change in just eight months, and the Wolfpack roster certainly has, meaning the Pirates have seen change as well. It’s time for the first team preview of the 2025 season, and first up are the East Carolina Pirates.
Finishing touches#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/tDcZNwOqPr
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) August 27, 2025
2024 Recap
2024 was a season of moving on for the Pirates. To start it all off, the program wanted to move on from the 2-10 season it had in 2023. The team seemed to move on, starting 2-0, they would proceed to lose four of the next five, and sitting at 3-4, ECU decided to fire head coach Mike Houston.
Enter Blake Harrell, who was named the interim head coach, promoted from the defensive coordinator position. It was the change they needed as the Pirates closed out the season with a 5-1 record with Harell, including the Bowl win over NC State.
The performance earned Harrell the full-time role of head coach. He got promoted in mid-November of last season, and now will enter 2025 with a full offseason under his belt as the lead man.
2025 - Offense
In terms of the offense, some of the primary names are still there. The starting quarterback in the 5-1 stretch, Harrell, coached returners in Katin Houser. Houser took over for Jake Garcia before the Army game and didn’t look back. He was a problem for NC State, not with his arm, but with his legs. He rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns in the Military Bowl victory, throwing two interceptions with his arm.
Don’t let the stats fool you because Houser can sling it. He had two outings where he threw for over 300 yards last season and helped lead the No. 27 passing offense from a season ago.
The biggest loss the Pirates took in the offseason was running back Rahjai Harris. Harris ran for over 1,100 yards, including an 86-yard run against the Wolfpack to seal the deal in the Military Bowl. It’s hard to replace him, but the Pirates are fielding a three-headed monster to try.
Backs London Montgomery, Marlon Gunn Jr. and Parker Jenkins will all see some work in the game on Thursday night. Montgomery ran for 359 yards and two touchdowns last season with a 5.1 average per carry. Now he looks to sprout as the main back in the revamped backfield.
The Pirates lost receiver Chase Sowell to Iowa State, but reloaded with Oklahoma transfer Jaquaize Pettaway and Penn State transfer Tyler Johnson. Pettaway is a former four-star recruit and brings a big-bodied receiver who knows how to make big plays.
Anthony Smith and Yannick Smith returned from the receiving core last season, and both achieved over 400 yards. Smith was named to the Biletnetkoff list just weeks ago and will be a staple of the Pirates' offense. He’s no doubt Houser’s favorite target as he exploded for three 100-yard games during the games Houser started.
Another Pirate on watch 👀 @GlobalAnt_26 @biletnikoffawrd pic.twitter.com/enbi5egaDk
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) August 6, 2025
Smith knows his upcoming competition well, as he spent four years in Raleigh as a member of the Wolfpack.
2025 - Defense
On the defensive side of things, the Pirates don’t return as much talent as they saw a season ago. They lost corner Shavon Revel to the NFL draft, corner Dontavious Nash to Michigan State and the leading snap count defender from last year in corner Isaiah Brown-Murray to Virginia Tech.
The only defender to come back from last season who started more than five games is defensive end Ryheem Craig, starting all 13 games at EDGE. He totaled 53 tackles last season and helped lead ECU to rank No. 14 in the nation in tackles for loss per game with 7.2.
To help Craig cause havoc, J.D. Lampley returns as well. He didn’t start games as he was a reserve defensive end, but he caused trouble for the offensive linemen he faced. He totaled third among AAC pass rushers with over 400 snaps in pressure with 39.
At linebacker, there isn’t much certainty within the position. The team lost leading tackles in Zakye Barker and Michael Edwards III, but returners like Dameon Wilson and DJ Johnson Jr. may see more playing time in 2025.
The look for the season opener! 🏴☠️ #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/7VwqG3X9Bf
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) August 26, 2025
For the secondary, they lost three key pieces to the draft and the transfer portal. To help replenish, they went searching for treasure in the portal. The Pirates came out with FCS All-American Jordy Lowery, who picked off six passes for Western Carolina. Lowery will join Houston transfer Teagean Wilk in the back-end, hoping to pick up where the secondary left off.
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Daniel Rios graduated from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His deep passion for sports has taken him to positions at ESPN and Cronkite News. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Beat Writer for the North Carolina State Wolfpack On SI.
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