ECU Officially Opens Spring Practice
March 19, 2024 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Under the direction of sixth-year head football coach Mike Houston, East Carolina officially opened the spring practice period with a workout Tuesday afternoon on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex.
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Houston led his squad through a fundamentals-oriented two-hour practice in shorts and helmets, the first of 15 schedule outings which will culminate with the playing of the Purple-Gold Spring Game on April 13 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
"Awesome to be back out on the field" Houston said. "Just great to be back out there with the guys and it's an exciting time right now. I'm sure the guys that were at practice at the beginning saw it's a lot different. Energy was a lot different. Pace was a lot different. Thought the kids were really excited to be out there here.
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"I told them, I said we had great effort. I thought they practiced really fast. Now we got some execution stuff that we need to clean up, but that's going to be with any first day. But it's just like a breath of fresh air to be back out on the field. Very pleased with everything from day one. And now we get to go look at the film and correct everything because we can all do things better. Coaches, we can do things better Thursday. Players, I told them, find things that you can do better on Thursday, but we just got to build on each day. But it was good to be back out there together."
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New offensive coordinator John David Baker welcomes back seven players who started at least seven games during the 2023 campaign in tight end Shane Calhoun (7 games), offensive lineman Hampton Ergle (12), offensive lineman Dustyn Hall (12), running back Rahjai Harris (11), offensive lineman Parker Moorer (12), offensive lineman Jacob Sacra (12) and wide receiver Chase Sowell (11). ECU's top two rushers from a year ago return in Harris (129 carries, 485 yards, 5 TDs) and Javious Bond (40 carries, 231 yards, 1 TD), while its top receiver in Sowell (47 rec., 622 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Calhoun (15 rec., 119 yards, 2 TDs).
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On the defensive side of the ball, coordinator Blake Harrell has six players who started at least nine contests a year ago in defensive back Isaiah Brown-Murray (9), linebacker Mike Edwards III (11), defensive lineman D'Anta Johnson (11), defensive back Shavon Revel (12), defensive lineman Chad Stephens (12) and defensive lineman Suirad Ware (9). A trio of Pirates return that earned American Athletic All-Conference selections in Johnson (second team), Revel (second team) and Stephens (honorable mention). Johnson (32) and Stephens (41) stood among the team leaders in tackles, while Revel ranked first in pass breakups (12), first in blocked kicks (two) and fourth in stops. Additionally, ECU returns four specialists in kick returner Javious Bond, place kicker Andrew Conrad, deep snapper Alex Harper and punter Luke Larsen.
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In total, the Pirates began spring practice with 108 total members which included 46 lettermen from 2023. Also stepping on the field for the first time were 26 new comers in offensive lineman Darius Bell (transfer), wide receiver O'Mega Blake (transfer), defensive lineman Ryheem Craig (transfer), running back TJ Engleman (signee), quarterback Jake Garcia (transfer), defensive back Gavin Gibson (transfer), defensive lineman Luke Holmes (walk-on), linebacker Noah Holmes (walk-on), quarterback Katin Houser (transfer), defensive back Keyshawn Jackson (walk-on), tight end Casey Kelly (transfer), defensive back O'Marion Lewis (signee), punter Conner Maynard (walk-on), defensive lineman Jaden McKenzie (transfer), linebacker Kevon Merrell Jr. (signee), linebacker Shane Perry (walk-on), punter Garrett Portesi (walk-on), offensive lineman Qae'Shon Sapp (transfer), offensive lineman Kendarius "KD" Small (signee), wide receiver Anthony Smith (transfer), offensive lineman Jayson Tarpeh (signee), defensive lineman Shaikh Thompson (signee), wide receiver Jyron Waiters (signee), linebacker Dameon Wilson (transfer), defensive back Andrew Wilson-Lamp (transfer) and wide receiver Winston Wright Jr. (transfer).
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Tuesday marked the first East Carolina on-field practices for six new full-time assistant coaches who joined Houston's staff during the off-season: Baker (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Rodney Freeman II (running backs), Hunter MacKay (tight ends), Damon Magazu (safeties), Matt Mattox (offensive line) and Rico Zackery (defensive ends/outside linebackers).
ECU will spend its first two "acclimation" practice sessions in shorts and helmets before progressing to shells Friday.
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Houston led his squad through a fundamentals-oriented two-hour practice in shorts and helmets, the first of 15 schedule outings which will culminate with the playing of the Purple-Gold Spring Game on April 13 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
"Awesome to be back out on the field" Houston said. "Just great to be back out there with the guys and it's an exciting time right now. I'm sure the guys that were at practice at the beginning saw it's a lot different. Energy was a lot different. Pace was a lot different. Thought the kids were really excited to be out there here.
Â
"I told them, I said we had great effort. I thought they practiced really fast. Now we got some execution stuff that we need to clean up, but that's going to be with any first day. But it's just like a breath of fresh air to be back out on the field. Very pleased with everything from day one. And now we get to go look at the film and correct everything because we can all do things better. Coaches, we can do things better Thursday. Players, I told them, find things that you can do better on Thursday, but we just got to build on each day. But it was good to be back out there together."
Â
New offensive coordinator John David Baker welcomes back seven players who started at least seven games during the 2023 campaign in tight end Shane Calhoun (7 games), offensive lineman Hampton Ergle (12), offensive lineman Dustyn Hall (12), running back Rahjai Harris (11), offensive lineman Parker Moorer (12), offensive lineman Jacob Sacra (12) and wide receiver Chase Sowell (11). ECU's top two rushers from a year ago return in Harris (129 carries, 485 yards, 5 TDs) and Javious Bond (40 carries, 231 yards, 1 TD), while its top receiver in Sowell (47 rec., 622 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Calhoun (15 rec., 119 yards, 2 TDs).
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On the defensive side of the ball, coordinator Blake Harrell has six players who started at least nine contests a year ago in defensive back Isaiah Brown-Murray (9), linebacker Mike Edwards III (11), defensive lineman D'Anta Johnson (11), defensive back Shavon Revel (12), defensive lineman Chad Stephens (12) and defensive lineman Suirad Ware (9). A trio of Pirates return that earned American Athletic All-Conference selections in Johnson (second team), Revel (second team) and Stephens (honorable mention). Johnson (32) and Stephens (41) stood among the team leaders in tackles, while Revel ranked first in pass breakups (12), first in blocked kicks (two) and fourth in stops. Additionally, ECU returns four specialists in kick returner Javious Bond, place kicker Andrew Conrad, deep snapper Alex Harper and punter Luke Larsen.
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In total, the Pirates began spring practice with 108 total members which included 46 lettermen from 2023. Also stepping on the field for the first time were 26 new comers in offensive lineman Darius Bell (transfer), wide receiver O'Mega Blake (transfer), defensive lineman Ryheem Craig (transfer), running back TJ Engleman (signee), quarterback Jake Garcia (transfer), defensive back Gavin Gibson (transfer), defensive lineman Luke Holmes (walk-on), linebacker Noah Holmes (walk-on), quarterback Katin Houser (transfer), defensive back Keyshawn Jackson (walk-on), tight end Casey Kelly (transfer), defensive back O'Marion Lewis (signee), punter Conner Maynard (walk-on), defensive lineman Jaden McKenzie (transfer), linebacker Kevon Merrell Jr. (signee), linebacker Shane Perry (walk-on), punter Garrett Portesi (walk-on), offensive lineman Qae'Shon Sapp (transfer), offensive lineman Kendarius "KD" Small (signee), wide receiver Anthony Smith (transfer), offensive lineman Jayson Tarpeh (signee), defensive lineman Shaikh Thompson (signee), wide receiver Jyron Waiters (signee), linebacker Dameon Wilson (transfer), defensive back Andrew Wilson-Lamp (transfer) and wide receiver Winston Wright Jr. (transfer).
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Tuesday marked the first East Carolina on-field practices for six new full-time assistant coaches who joined Houston's staff during the off-season: Baker (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Rodney Freeman II (running backs), Hunter MacKay (tight ends), Damon Magazu (safeties), Matt Mattox (offensive line) and Rico Zackery (defensive ends/outside linebackers).
ECU will spend its first two "acclimation" practice sessions in shorts and helmets before progressing to shells Friday.
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Players Mentioned
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