Nine Pirates Earn All-American Conference Honors

IRVING, Texas – East Carolina offensive tackle Jimarion McCrimon, safety Ja'Marley Riddle, wide receiver Anthony Smith and defensive tackle Zion Wilson headline nine Pirates that were named 2025 All-American Conference performers according to an announcement by the league Tuesday afternoon.

The quartet of McCrimmon, Riddle, Anthony Smith and Zion Wilson were tabbed first-team selections, while defensive lineman J.D. Lampley, deep snapper Triston O'Brien and offensive guard Emmanuel Poku earned second-team accolades. Rounding out the Pirate honorees were wide receiver Yannick Smith and linebacker Dameon Wilson as third teamers. The nine selections this season are tied for the most by an ECU team in The American since joining the conference in 2014.

McCrimmon, a mainstay of the offensive line the last two seasons, has started 18 of 24 career games at left tackle for East Carolina. This year, he has helped the Pirate offense rank among the FBS leaders Top 25) in first down offense (9th/292), 3rd down conversion (12th/50.0 pct.), passing offense (15th/280.7 pg), total offense (14th/464.7 pg), sacks allowed (22nd/1.33 pg) and scoring offense (25th/33.5 ppg). He has been a part of a line unit that has produced three 100-yard rushing efforts and four 300-plus passing games as well as eight contests with 150 or more team ground years and four with 500-plus yards of total offense.

Riddle picked up his first career honor having started all 12 games at safety for the Pirates. During his two-year career, he has started 18 of 25 games tallying 134 tackles (65 solo) with six interceptions and 10 pass breakups. This season, he leads the team in total tackles (70), interceptions (3 for 45 yards), pass breakups (6) and is tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries (1 for 15 yards). He is a member of a defensive unit that ranks among the FBS (Top 30) in team TFLs (4th/7.8 pg), fumble recoveries (5th/10), red zone defense (7th/71.4 pct.), 3rd down conversion percentage (13th/30.2 pct.), 4th down conversion percentage (22nd/42.4 pct.), team sacks (28th/2.50 pg) and scoring defense (29th/20.3 ppg). The latter being the fewest points per game allowed (through 12 games) since 1999 (18.8).

Anthony Smith, a two-time postseason award honoree from The American, has started all 25 games played for the Pirates over the last two seasons. He has caught 101 passes for 1,696 yards (16.8 ypc) with 11 touchdowns and has hauled down at least one pass in 24 of 25 career games. This season, he has started all 12 games leading the team in receptions (60) and receiving yards (897) while sharing the team lead in touchdown receptions (5) and ranking second in yards per catch at 15.0. Against Temple, he scored his first rushing touchdown on a 45-yard run in the first quarter and of his five reception scores, four have gone for 40 or more yards. He has tallied three 100-yard receiving games on the year posting a career-best 150 against Tulsa.

Zion Wilson has started all 12 games for the Pirates at defensive tackle in 2025. He has tallied 39 tackles (18 solo) which includes a team and conference-best 7.0 sacks (-38 yards) and 10.0 TFLs (-46 yards). Causing havoc up front, Wilson has been credited with three quarterback hurries (second on the team) and has helped the defensive unit stand fourth nationally in TLFs per game at 7.8. He is a member of a unit that has limited six opponents to 100 or less rushing yards in a game with three less than 40 in a contest.

Lampley earned his second postseason honor from The American after being selected as an honorable mention member in 2024. Over his four-year career, Lampley has started 12 of 48 games booking 71 tackles (38 solo) with 7.0 sacks (-41 yards) and 19.0 TLFs (-69 yard) to go along with three pass breakups and 11 quarterback hurries. A first-time starter in 2025, Lampley registered 17 tackles (eight solo) with a team second-best 6.5 TFLs (-26 yards) and one sack (-7 yards). He has been credited with three quarterback hurries to go along with two pass breakups. His line unit set the tone for the defensive limiting six opponents to less than 100 yards rushing and three times held the opposition to 40 or fewer, including a negative four-yard day for Campbell in the Pirates' first home game of the season.

O'Brien, a transfer from Indiana State, appeared in all 12 games for ECU as the long snapper. He delivered successful snaps on 43 punts, 15 field goal attempts and 49 PATs becoming an instrumental member of the special team's unit. In all, he helped his unit tally 88 total points helping Nick Mazzie to a perfect 41 of 41 on PATs and 13 of 15 on FGAs. The punting unit averaged 40.3 yards per kick (43 for 1,732 yards) with eight landing inside the opponents 20-yard line and no blocks for the second consecutive season.

Poku, who has also been a mainstay on the offensive line the last two seasons, has appeared in 34 career games making 25 consecutive starts heading into bowl season, which ties Anthony Smith and Ryheem Craig for the longest active streak. Along with members of the offensive line unit, he has helped the Pirates' rank among the FBS leaders Top 25) in first down offense (9th/292), 3rd down conversion (12th/50.0 pct.), passing offense (15th/280.7 pg), total offense (14th/464.7 pg), sacks allowed (22nd/1.33 pg) and scoring offense (25th/33.5 ppg). He has been a part of a line unit that has produced three 100-yard rushing efforts and four 300-plus passing games as well as eight contests with 150 or more team ground years and four with 500-plus yards of total offense.

Yannick Smith has started 13 of 24 career games including 11 as a sophomore. During his two-year career, Smith has caught 69 passes for 1,107 yards (14.7 ypc) with eight touchdowns. This season, he stands second on the team in receptions (44), reception yards (583), while sharing the team lead with five touchdowns. Smith established single-game highs against BYU in receptions (10) and receiving yards (146) and caught a pair of touchdowns against Temple which tied a single-game high. He has registered two 100-plus receiving games and has caught at least one pass in 20 of 24 career contests.

Dameon Wilson, who earned his first postseason honor, has started 14 of 23 career games for the Pirate defense. Over his two-year tenure with the team, he has recorded 75 tackles (34 solo) with a half sack and 7.0 TFLs (-17 yards) to go along with three pass breakups. This season, Wilson has tallied 47 stops (21 solo) and is tied for second on the team with 7.0 TFLs (-17 yards) while registering a half sack (-4 yards). As the Pirates' signal caller on the defense, he has helped ECU stand first in The American (all games) in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense.

Players Mentioned

Ryheem Craig

J.D. Lampley

Nick Mazzie

Jimarion McCrimon

Triston O'Brien

Emmanuel Poku

Ja'Marley Riddle

Anthony Smith

Yannick Smith

Dameon Wilson

Zion Wilson

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