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First-team All-Conference college football starter enters transfer portal

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Greenville, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates head coach Blake Harrell looks on against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Greenville, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates head coach Blake Harrell looks on against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. | James Guillory-Imagn Images

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East Carolina Pirates

East Carolina finished the 2025 season 9–4 (6–2 AAC) and closed the year by winning the Go Bowling Military Bowl over Pittsburgh, 23–17.

The Pirates were among the AAC’s most productive offenses, averaging 449 yards per game and 33.5 points per game under offensive coordinator John David Baker; both figures rank in the Top 25 nationally.

The offensive line contributed to those totals by limiting pressure, allowing just 19 sacks across 13 games, a top-30 mark nationally.

That stability up front helped power one of the program’s best seasons in more than a decade, as ECU posted its highest win total since 2013.

Starting left tackle Jimarion McCrimon (6'5", 307 lb) was one of East Carolina’s top contributors in 2025 and earned American Athletic Conference First Team honors.

However, multiple outlets reported Tuesday that McCrimon is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, removing one of the Pirates’ best players and placing an experienced, All-AAC tackle on the open market.

McCrimon is a product of Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Florida, and signed with East Carolina in February 2023 after a decorated high-school career that included All-Area First-Team honors from the Orlando Sentinel and First-Team All–Orange Belt Conference recognition as a senior.

He was also a highly regarded three-sport athlete at Osceola, competing in football, basketball, and track, and was a two-time MaxPreps Player of the Game (Oct. 29, 2021; Oct. 13, 2022).

He was lightly regarded by recruiting services but still received nearly a dozen offers from Group of Five and low–Power Five programs during the 2023 cycle, including Purdue, Appalachian State, South Florida, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, and Arkansas State.

East Carolina Pirates wide receiver Anthony Smith (17) and offensive lineman Jimarion McCrimon.
East Carolina Pirates wide receiver Anthony Smith (17) celebrates a touchdown with East Carolina Pirates offensive lineman Jimarion McCrimon (62) | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The loss of a first-team All-AAC left tackle strips East Carolina of an experienced blindside protector and creates an immediate need along the offensive line, particularly for an offense that leaned heavily on McCrimon to protect senior quarterback Katin Houser and pave the way for a rushing attack that eclipsed 2,200 yards.

McCrimon is not the only Pirate expected to enter the transfer portal, as nearly a dozen ECU players are projected to test the market, including Houser, running back Parker Jenkins, wide receiver Yannick Smith, and tight end Jayvontay Conner; four of the team’s most productive offensive weapons in 2025.

Given his size, conference honors, and Florida ties, McCrimon profiles as a fit for Power-Five and Group of Five programs in need of immediate tackle help, including LSU, Auburn, UCF, Houston, and Florida State, all of which have been linked to portal offensive-line additions.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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