Spring football practice is underway at East Carolina with Coach Blake Harrell supervising the process of organizing the many moving parts that must be in sync for the Pirates to realize a goal of winning the American Conference.
Unlike 2025 when ECU went 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the American Conference with a 23-17 win over Pitt in the Military Bowl, there is an absence of continuity in offensive leadership in spring ball this year.
Transfers Emory Williams and Mitch Griffis are competing at quarterback under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Jordan Davis, who comes from North Texas.
Jordon Hankins, from Memphis, is the new defensive coordinator.
“Seeing some things that are really good and seeing some things we’ve got to improve on,” said Harrell on Monday after spring practice No. 3.
Slow and steady approach
New coordinators mean new systems. The Pirates are installing new schemes.
It will be interesting to see if ECU persists in the up-tempo style that former offensive coordinator John David Baker employed.
“It’s not the install that I want to focus on, or I want our coaches to focus on,” Harrell said. “Last week we had practice one. They were ready to install for practice two. I said, ‘Hey, let’s step back, go back through install one.’
“It’s really about how we do it, not what we do — the effort we play with, the energy we play with and the execution we play with. Just going back and focusing on the fundamentals from install one. (Monday) was really install two for us.”
Harrell said the systems have already been explained in a classroom setting before getting on the field in the spring.
New personnel
There are lot of first-year players getting indoctrinated into ECU football, version 2026.
“We’ve got 22 transfers, two JUCOs, and 14 freshmen that enrolled early,” Harrell said. ” … It’s 38 new players out there, five new coaches on the field. … During the winter training, we do OTA- (Organized Team Activities) type workouts.
“Everything we do in practice, we’ve already been through once. Now you’re going through it full speed and you’re going through it with pads on, so it changes a little bit.
“It’s an opportunity to kind of learn those individuals. What makes them tick? What makes them go? Is that a guy you’re going to have to stay on and keep your thumb on? Is he kind of a self-starter and can go? Who’s talented enough to go make plays and go win football games?
“Every day we find out a little bit more and more about those new guys and about the guys returning.”
Returners
The Pirates return seven starters from the bowl game, including three special teamers.
The group includes linebacker D.J. Johnson Jr., linebacker Jordan Miles, punter Thomas O’Halloran, defensive lineman Jasiyah Robinson, punt and kick returner Kyler Pearson, place kicker Everett Scott and wide receiver Brock Spalding.
ECU returns 28 lettermen total, including eight on offense, 15 on defense and five from special teams.
Jordan, Jordon and company
With new coordinators Davis and Hankins, there are five new position coaches.
Davis will work with quarterbacks. Hankins is linebackers coach.
Julian Griffin is running backs coach. Alex Huettel is the new offensive line coach and Juan Soto will work with wide receivers.
Griffin comes to ECU after one season at California. Prior to that, he was at Texas-San Antonio for five seasons.
Huettel comes from Old Dominion and will face his former program in Norfolk on Sept. 19.
Soto was with Davis at North Texas.
Students invited Friday
The Pirates were scheduled to practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. The Monday and Wednesday sessions were in the morning.
ECU will practice in the afternoon on Friday and students can take part.
“It’s called Student Appreciation Day,” Harrell said. “Just wanted to take a practice and let the students come out. We’ve got free food for them. Got some giveaways. I think we got a DJ (disc jockey) for them.
“We’ll let them on the sidelines, just kind of the opportunity for those guys to get closer to the football team and just show our appreciation for what they mean to our football program and the difference they make in the Boneyard.”
More appreciation events are planned.
“Next week we have First Responders Appreciation Day,” Harrell said. “On April 10th, we have Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day.
“The QBs
Both of ECU’s contending quarterbacks have made starts for teams that made the College Football Playoff last season. Griffis comes from Texas Tech and Williams was at Miami.
The duo is expected to go on display on April 18 when spring practice concludes with the Purple-Gold game.
“Both young men, Emory Williams and Mitch Griffiths, are doing an exceptional job just from everything they’ve done since they’ve stepped on campus here — learning the playbook, being the first in the weight room, working their tails off there, extra meeting time, and just treating themselves like a professional,” Harrell said. “Both are very intelligent kids, getting other teammates doing a really good job of that.
“Our off season is four quarters. I don’t think you would get halfway through a game and say, ‘Hey, we’ve won the game.’ Or in the business world, you wouldn’t get halfway through the year and say, ‘Okay, we can just let up the rest of the year. We’ll just step back.’
“So, I want that thing to kind of be ongoing. … Obviously right now they’re rotating both with the ones and twos. At some point a guy may earn more reps with the ones. A guy may take a step forward.
“I don’t think we’ll actually name a starter until it gets time to play, get through all four quarters (of the offseason) and get closer to that point going to Tuscaloosa.”
Eye on Alabama
ECU opens the season at Alabama on Sept. 5.
The Crimson Tide will hold its spring game on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m., Eastern Time.
Alabama also has a quarterback competition after last year’s starter, Ty Simpson, declared for the NFL draft.
Austin Mack is a 6-6 redshirt junior. He played most of the second half of the Rose Bowl in a 38-3 loss to eventual national champion Indiana. He saw action in four games last year as Simpson’s back-up.
Keelon Russell is a redshirt freshman who saw action at quarterback in two games in 2025.
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