2020 Football Roster
Ahlers, Holton

Jersey Number 12
Holton Ahlers
- Position:
- Quarterback
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 228
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Greenville
- High School:
- D.H. Conley
- Major:
- Entrepreneurship
Bio
CAREER NOTES: Four-year starter at quarterback (50 of 55 games) … Four-time team captain (2019-22) … Five-time letterman (2018-22) … Set 10 ECU records to go along with six American Athletic Conference and two Birmingham Bowl new standards … Named Birmingham Bowl, Hula Bowl and NFLPA Bowl Most Valuable Player honors … Owns one 500-yard, six 400-yard and 18 300-yard passing outings … Thrown at least one scoring pass in 42 of 55 games … In all, completed 1,127-of-1,857 passes (60.7 percent) for 13,927 yards … Threw 97 touchdowns to 37 interceptions … Of his 97 aerial scores, 76 came in league play … Rushed 469 times for 1,446 yards (3.1 ypr) with 25 scores … Ranks second all-time in rushing yards by a quarterback … Completed career standing among the all-time FBS leaders in total yards (seventh) and passing yards (11th) … Ran and passed for a touchdown in the dame game on 15 occasions (2/2018, 4/2019, 1/2020, 4/2021, 4/2022) … As a starter, compiled 15,071 total yards – an average of 301.4 yards per game … Ran for multiple touchdowns in a game three times (2 vs. UNC/2018, 2 vs. GWU/2019, 2 vs. BYU/2022) ... In 55 career contests, led the Pirates in rushing 11 times (8/2018, 2/2019, 1/2022) … 524 of 1,127 completions went for 10 or more yards (203 for 20-plus) … Seventy-five of 97 passing touchdowns went for 10 or more yards (8 of 12/2018, 15 of 21/2019, 14 of 18/2020, 16 of 18/2021, 22 of 28/2022) … Threw multiple touchdowns in a game 28 times in his career (3/’18, 5/’19, 6/’20, 6/’21, 8’22) … Thrown for 300-plus yards in a game 18 times in his career (406/UCF ‘18, 449/MEM ‘18, 360/TLN ‘18, 313/UCF ‘19, 535/CIN ‘19, 498/SMU ‘19, 374/UCONN ‘19, 308/TLS ‘19, 330/TLS ‘20, 351/TLN ‘20, 368/MAR ‘21, 313/MEM ‘21, 405/Navy ’21, 465/USF ’22, 304/MEM ’22, 311/UCF ’22, 314/TEM ’22, 300/CCU ’22) … Three-time Wuerffel Trophy Watch List Candidate … Semifinalist for the 2022 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
RECORDS: ECU single-game holder for passing yards (535 vs. Cincinnati ’19) and touchdown passes in a game (6 vs. SMU ’19, South Florida ’22) … Owns single-season passing efficiency rating that was set in 2022 (151.1) … Pirates all-time leader in passing yards (13, 927), total offensive yards (15,373), passing touchdowns (97), touchdowns responsible for (122), completions (1,127), pass attempts (1,857) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (25) … In The American, established six career records: total plays (2,326), total offensive yards, completions, passing yards, pass attempts and touchdowns responsible for … Set Birmingham Bowl records for most touchdown passes (five) and total touchdowns responsible for (six).
OFF THE FIELD: Founder and co-owner (along with Josh Dees) of Built When Broken, an inspirational Christian-based apparel company that was established in 2017 following the unexpected passing of his best friend at the young age of 21.
2022: Started all 13 games helping the Pirates to an 8-5 overall record which included a 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl – the first win for ECU in a bowl since 2014 … Completed 26 of 38 passes for 300 yards with five ariel scores versus the Chanticleers … Added 48 rushing yards on seven carries with a touchdown on his way to Birmingham Bowl MVP honors … Participated in the Hula Bowl earning MVP accolades after completing 10 of 10 passes for 57 yards with a touchdown passes … Rushed for 22 yards … Completed 22-yard touchdown pass to Michael Ezeike (UCLA) lifting Kai to a 16-13 victory … Also participated in the NFLPA Bowl where he completed 9 of 12 passes for 189 yards and a score on his way to MVP honors and helping the American squad to a 19-17 victory … Lone passing touchdown came in the second quarter hooking up with Christian Sims (Bowling Green) for 42 yards … Also led the American squad to a field goal and an early 10-0 lead in the first half … Connected with Southern Miss receiver Jason Brownlee on a 66-yard completion prior to half time … One of four team captains at the conclusion of the season for the fourth consecutive year … Served as a game captain for all 13 contests … Selected a ECU’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year alongside Keaton Mitchell at the programs annual end of the year banquet … Closed out collegiate completing 315 of 469 passes (67.2 percent) for 3,708 yards … Threw 28 touchdown passes to just five interceptions … Did not throw an interception in nine consecutive contests to close out the season, including a pair of all-star games … Ran for 182 yards on 72 carries (2.5 ypr) with six scores … Caught one pass for 14 yards against Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl … Threw at least one score in 11 of 13 games (multiple eight times) … Twenty-two of 28 aerial scores went for 10 or more yards … Passed for 300 or more yards in a game five times with a season-best 465 against South Florida … Threw for 200-plus yards in 12 of 13 contests … Tied his own single-season record with six touchdown passes against the Bulls … Stands fourth on ECU’s single-season passing yards list with his 3,708 yards … Also holds the fifth (3,387 in 2019) and seventh (3,126 in 2021) spots on the list … Ran for scores against Campbell, Memphis, UCF, BYU (two) and Coastal Carolina … Named semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award (Nov. 16) … Earned AAC Offensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 3) and selected to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll (Oct. 24) … Named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for Week Five and earned a spot on the Midseason Watch List ... Tabbed to the Manning Passing Academy Week Five Honor Roll ... Garnered a Manning Star of the Week as well as a ESPN Helmet Sticker after his performance against South Florida ... Earned another Manning Star of the Week laurel following the UCF contest and was named the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week ... Directed an offensive unit that ranked 16th nationally in passing offense (290.5 ypg), 23rd in total offense (461.1), 35th in first down offense (294) and 35th in scoring (32.5 ppg) … Individually, he ranked among the FBS leaders in passing yards (10th), completions (13th), passing yards per game (14th), completion percentage (15th), passing touchdowns (16th), points responsible for (16th), total offense (16th) and points responsible for per game (22nd) … 139 of 315 completions went for 10 or more yards (48 for 20-plus yards) … At the conclusion of senior season, was lone FBS quarterback with 13,000 yards passing/1,000 yards rushing for a career … Prior to the season, was named to the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy, Golden Arm, Davey O’Brien and Reese's Senior Bowl Watch Lists … Selected as a coach for the Manning Passing Academy in July 2022 … Tabbed a 2022 Fourth-Team Preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection by Athlon Sports.
2021: Started all 12 games during junior campaign … Completed 256-of-414 passes (61.8 percent) for 3,126 yards … Threw 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions … Stood among the nation’s Top 30 in passing yards per game (19th/260.5), completions (21st), total offense yards per game (27th) and passing yards (29th) … On the ground, rushed for 202 yards and six scores on 116 carries (1.7 ypg) … Caught a pair of passes for 27 yards (13.5 ypc) with one touchdown at Marshall (9/18) … In all, tallied a unit-best 3,328 yards on 530 plays – an average of 277.3 per contest … Directed an offensive unit that stood 39th nationally in total offense (433.2) and 54th in scoring (29.7 ppg) … One of four team captains at the conclusion of the season for the third consecutive year … Served as a game captain against Appalachian State for the season opener in Charlotte … Passed for 300-plus yards in a game three times (368/Marshall, 313/Memphis, 405/Navy) … Also threw for 200 yards or more against Appalachian State (295), Charleston Southern (238), Tulane (288), UCF (219), Houston (278), South Florida (220) and Cincinnati (228) … Tossed multiple TDs in a game six times including a season-best three on twice (Temple and Navy) … Twelve of 18 TD passes went for 10 or more yards, nine for 20-plus and two for 60 or more yards (63/Appalachian State, 60/Charleston Southern) … Completed season-best 30 passes (48 attempts) with a pair of scores … Rushed for 178 yards (of his 202) over the last five games including a season-best 78 against South Florida … Became first ECU QB to catch a TD pass in a game since Shane Carden in 2014 St. Pete Bowl (at Marshall/27 yards on 9/18/21) ... First Pirate to throw, run and catch a TD in a game since James Summers in 2016 vs. UConn - span of 52 games - at Marshall (9/18/21) ... One of three AAC quarterbacks to pass, rush and catch a pass in a game this season (Desmond Ridder/CIN and Dillion Gabriel/UCF) ... One of four active FBS QBs during 2021 with 10,000 yards passing/1,000 yards rushing - career ... On the season has accounted for 24 scores (18 pass, 6 rush) and added first career receiving TD ... Named to 2021 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board Watch List ... Midseason Watch List for Davey O’Brien Award (10/19) ... Three-time AAC Honor Roll (Marshall 9/20, Temple 11/8, Navy/22) ... Two-time Manning Stars-of-the-Week (9/20, 11/22) ... Named to Davey O’Brien Awards Great 8 (9/20) ... Named College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention (11/22) ... Third-Team Preseason All-AAC pick by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview ... Fourth-Team Preseason All-AAC selection by Athlon Sports.
2020: Started all eight games played, missing only the Navy contest (COVID-19 protocol) … Completed 165-of-269 passes (61.3 percent) for 1,921 yards and 18 touchdowns while only getting picked off nine times … Ranked among the nation’s Top 30 in three aerial categories – 25th in passing TDs, 26th in completions per game (20.6) and 30th in passing yards per game (240.1) … On the ground, rushed for 109 yards and a score on 54 carries (2.0 ypg) … In all, racked up a unit-best 2,030 total yards on 323 plays – an average of 253.8 per contest … Directed an offense that turned in the program’s 10th-highest single-season scoring average (30.2 ppg) in school history (and tops since 2014) … Selected to the Manning Award and Wuerffel Trophy Watch Lists … Served as a two-time game captain (UCF, Georgia State) … Eclipsed 300 passing yards twice with those performances coming in successive outings at Tulsa (330) and against Tulane (season-high 351) … Also recorded 200 air yards or more against SMU (298), Georgia State (236), South Florida (222) and UCF (215), while adding 182 at Temple in road finale … Had streak of 14-straight games with 200-plus passing yards snapped at Cincinnati (9-of-20 for 87), which also marked his first-ever sub-100-yard outing as a starter … Tallied multiple TD throws in six contests with a season-best four vs. SMU at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium after contributing three each against UCF, South Florida, Tulsa and Tulane, while tossing a pair at Temple … Fourteen (14) of the 18 scoring strikes covered 10+ yards, while three went 60 or more (75 vs. South Florida and Tulane, 60 vs. Temple) … Of the nine interceptions suffered, six came in just two tilts (three each vs. Georgia State and Cincinnati) … Established new personal bests with 38 completions against the Golden Hurricane and a 75-yard run vs. Temple on the road … Also turned in his top single-game rushing effort of the campaign with 70 yards (on six attempts) and scored only ground tally against Owls with a one-yard plunge to cap ECU’s 28-3 victory at Lincoln Financial Field … Ran for 55 yards on a season-high 12 carries in the opener vs. UCF and added 35 on six totes at South Florida to round out other notable rushing contests … Averaged 240.7 passing yards per game in seven American Athletic Conference appearances (136-of-219 for 1,685 yards and all 18 TDs) … Tossed 10 scoring passes, threw only one interception and turned in a 288.0 aerial clip in just three home contests (61-of-101, 864 yards), while netting a 211.4 average in five road tilts with eight picks and eight touchdowns … Enjoyed consistent early and late splits with 1,003 yards and nine TDs in first four games before logging 918 yards and an identical nine score total in the final four outings … Fared better in day games (256.5 pypg, 101-of-173 for 2,282 yards and 12 TDs) than at night (213.0 pypg, 64-of-96 for 639 yards and six TDs) … Turned in top passing numbers during month of October (262.7 pypg) in comparison to September (215.0) and November (229.5) … Was 73-of-104 (70.2%) with 30 first downs gained and seven touchdowns in all first down snaps, while booking a 62.3 clip on second down (48-of-77, 25 first downs, 3 TDs), a 51.9 success rate on third down (41-of-79, 29 first downs, 6 TDs) and a 33.3 ledger on fourth down (3-of-9, 1 first down, 2 TD) … Completed 29-of-56 passes (51.8%) on third-and-long, moving the chains on 18 occasions and accounting for four scores … Excluding sacks, averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 33 “true” rushes and picked up 10 first downs … Netted a team-best 11.9 yards per attempt on 10 second down rushes … Credited with his third career tackle on a solo stop (following an interception) at Temple … Also launched his first collegiate punt against the Owls, a 32-yarder that resulted in a touchback … A fourth-team preseason All-AAC selection by Athlon Sports.
2019: Opened all 12 contests during sophomore campaign … Passed for 3,387 yards (264-of-442) and 21 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions … Completion percentage was 59.7 … On the national (FBS) level, ranked ninth in total offense (3,746 yards), 12th in passing yards per game (282.2), 17th in completions per game (22.0) and 21st in passing yards … Rushed for 359 yards and six TDs on 108 carries, an average of 3.3 per attempt … Established three single-game school records during the course of the season – passing yards (535 vs. Cincinnati), passing TDs (six vs. SMU) and most total yards (556 vs. Cincinnati) … Aerial effort vs. Bearcats also rated as the third-highest single-game passing performance on the FBS level in 2019 (606, 570 by Washington State’s Anthony Gordon) … Trailed only Shane Carden and Dominique Davis on ECU’s single-season lists for passing yards (4th), most completions (6th) and most total yards (4th) … Surpassed 200 passing yards on nine occasions (300/5, 400/2, 500/1) … Accounted for at least one TD throw in nine contests, two or more five times, three or more thrice and four or more twice … Earned American Athletic Conference Honor Roll inclusion following efforts vs. SMU (32-of-42, 498 yards, 6 TDs, 8-25 rushing) and Connecticut (34-of-50, 374 yards, 1 TD, 6-22 & 1 TD rushing) … In addition to record-breaking passing numbers (32-of-52, 535 yards), accounted for five touchdowns against Cincinnati (4 air, 1 ground) … Top rushing outing was a 78-yard, two-TD performance on 10 carries vs. Gardner-Webb in home opener … Also added 60 yards on 14 attempts – which included a season-long jaunt of 36 – against William Mary before recording best AAC ground numbers at UCF (15-47, 1 TD) … Tallied other rushing scores vs. Navy, Cincinnati and Connecticut … Suffered only one lost fumble in 108 attempts (at NC State) … Enjoyed favorable conference & non-conference splits, averaging 326.6 passing yards per game in eight league tilts (196-of-319 for 2,612 yards and 17 TDs) compared to a 193.8 yards-per-game clip in four non-AAC matchups (68-of-123, 775 yards, 4 TDs) … Home/road numbers were nearly identical in six contests – 134-of-230 (1,694 yards/282.3) and 11 touchdowns at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium compared to 130-of-212 (1,693 yards/282.2) and 10 TDs away from Greenville … Turned in strong finish, averaging 374.2 yards per game with 15 scoring tosses in final six outings (190.3 ypg, six TDs in first six) … Closed campaign as arguably one of the hottest quarterbacks nationally, completing 125-of-192 throws (65.1 percent) for 1,715 yards (428.8 ypg) with 14 touchdowns during the month of November, which included the final four contests vs. Cincinnati, SMU, Connecticut and Tulsa … Accounted for 56 pass completions (12 TDs) and seven rushes (1 TD) that covered 20-plus yards, including five of 50+ – 75 (C.J. Johnson/Cincinnati), 72 (Blake Proehl/Old Dominion), 68 (Jsi Hatfield/(SMU, 57 (Tyler Snead/SMU) and 53 (Deondre Farrier/Old Dominion) … A total of 124 (of 264 completions) were for 10 or more yards … Pass success rate on third down was 51 percent (68-of-133) that resulted in 45 first downs and nine TDs … Was 109-of-165 (66%) on first down, which moved the chains on 54 occasions … Was a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth down pass attempts (two conversions) … Didn’t reach 200-yard passing mark until Game 4 (William & Mary) after opening the season with 168 (NC State), 195 (Gardner-Webb) and a season-low 138-yard effort (Navy) … Finished the year with a run of nine-straight 200-plus outings … Prior to aforementioned notables vs. Cincinnati, SMU and Connecticut, threw for 210 vs. William & Mary, 202 vs. Old Dominion, 229 vs. Temple, 313 vs. UCF and 217 vs. USF before closing with 308 (and three TDs) vs. Tulsa … Surpassed the 40 attempt mark four times (52/Cincinnati, 50/UConn, 48/Tulsa, 42/SMU) … Completed 30 or more throws on three occasions (season-high 34 against Huskies, 32 each against Bearcats and Mustangs).
2018: Experienced action in 10 games and made five starts as a true freshman … Did not play in opener vs. North Carolina A&T (coach’s decision) and in season finale at NC State (injury) … Made collegiate debut in Week 2 against North Carolina and played key role in the Pirates’ 41-19 victory at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium … Earned first career start against league champion UCF at home and opened the four following contests (Memphis, Tulane, Connecticut, Cincinnati) … Completed 127-of-263 passes (48.3 percent) for 1,785 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns … On the ground, topped program with 592 yards on 119 attempts (5.0 ypc) and reached paydirt on an ECU-best six occasions … Turned in the second-highest single-season rushing total among quarterbacks in school history, trailing only Leander Green (1979) by a mere 40 yards … Also stood second among all true freshmen nationally in rushing yards and finished as the Pirates’ leading ground gainer in eight outings – 48/USF, 63/Old Dominion, 56/Temple, 45/Houston, 69/UCF, 57/Memphis, 67/Tulane, 130/Connecticut … Stood 11th nationally in yards per completion (14.1), while ranking among AAC leaders in total offense (237.7 ypg), passing yards per game (178.5) and passing efficiency (118.08) … As a starter, racked up 1,985 total yards – an average of 397.0 per contest … Seventy-two (72) of 127 completions went for 10-plus yards (23 for 25-plus), which included a career-long 80-yarder to Trevon Brown at Tulane … Turned in a personal-long rush of 53 yards at Temple, which bested a 49-yarder vs. Old Dominion a week earlier … Selected as the AAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week on Nov. 19 after surpassing the century ground mark (130/1 TD) and passing for an additional 242 yards (4 TD) against the Huskies … Triple-digit rushing effort vs. UConn marked the third-highest single-game total ever recorded by an ECU starting QB in program history behind Leander Green (178/Richmond/1979) and Jeff Blake (161/Northern Illinois/1990) … Posted 27 carries in inaugural start against UCF, most by a Pirate signal-caller since 1982 (Kevin Ingram/William & Mary) … Tallied ground scores vs. North Carolina (2), USF, Old Dominion, Houston and Connecticut … Touchdown passes came against Connecticut (career-high 4), Memphis (3), Tulane (2), Houston, UCF and Cincinnati … Passed for at least 360 yards in first three career starts – 406 vs. UCF, 449 vs. Memphis (second-highest recorded by an FBS true freshman in 2018) and 360 vs. Tulane … Also completed at least one toss of 40-plus yards in games against Knights, Tigers and Green Wave … After racking up 475 total yards in initial start against UCF, accumulated 506 overall yards vs. Memphis … Also established a personal best in completions (34) vs. Tigers before establishing a career-high in attempts (67) against Tulane … Was the only FBS quarterback with multiple 60-plus attempt contests (62/Memphis, 67/Tulane) during the season … Was 13-of-28 for 144 yards and one score in first five games (coming off the bench) before assuming full-time starting role … On the flipside, scored five of six rushing TDs as a backup … Suffered only three interceptions all season (UCF, Tulane, Cincinnati) and was also charged with just three lost fumbles (2 vs. Knights, 1 vs. Bearcats) … Credited with a tackle vs. Tulane (interception return) … Averaged 6.2 yards per carry in non-conference games (16-99), compared to a 4.8 clip in eight league tilts … Tallied 14 (9 passing, 5 rushing) of 18 overall touchdowns at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium … Averaged 328.2 passing yards per game in second half of season (last five games played) after opening season with a 28.8 ypg clip (first five appearances) … Converted four of five fourth down rushes into a first down or score … Officially enrolled early at ECU in January and participated with the Pirates in spring drills … Earned “Top Offensive Newcomer” honors at the conclusion of spring workouts after completing a combined 22-of-36 passes (61.1 percent) for 302 yards and one TD during two scrimmages.
High School: A four-year starter and team captain who led D.H. Conley to four consecutive playoff appearances and three conference titles … Closed prep career as one of the top statistical quarterbacks in North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) history, finishing as the state’s third all-time leading passer (11,198 yards) and second in total offense (14,784) … Also stood third in touchdowns responsible for (201) and pass TDs (145), while ranking fifth in pass completions (670) and sixth in pass attempts (1,157) … Additionally, rushed for 3,586 yards and recorded 56 ground scores … Suffered only 28 interceptions during entire career - an average of just one per 41 pass attempts … A three-year all-conference (first-team) selection and two-time conference player-of-the-year and team MVP pick … Twice named to the Greenville Daily Reflector’s First-Team All-Conference squad, while earning Raleigh News & Observer All-Metro Quarterback honors in 2016 and 2017 … As a senior under coach Nate Conner, helped lead the Vikings to an Eastern Carolina 3A/4A Conference title (6-0 record) and a third-round appearance in the state playoffs to earn Associated Press North Carolina Offensive Player-of-the-Year and First-Team All-State honors … Also selected as the Raleigh News & Observer Football Player-of-the-Year following senior campaign … Accounted for 75 overall touchdowns in 2017, which was the second-highest single-season total in NCHSAA history, by throwing for 61 (fourth-best in the state record books) and rushing for 14 more … In all, completed 223-of-358 passes (62.3 percent) for 3,763 yards, while only getting picked off four times during senior campaign … Added 933 ground yards on the way to 4,696 yards of total offense … Reached the 300-yard passing mark six times in 13 contests with a season-high 464 vs. West Craven … Named the Pitt County Post Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 2017 … Invited to play in the prestigious Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and earned MVP honors after leading North Carolina to a 55-24 win (156 yards on 11-of-18 passing, 32 rush yards on 12 carries) … An Associated Press All-State choice as a junior after racking up 5,414 total yards, which ranked fourth in the NCHSAA single-season annals … Also made a pair of sixth-place entries (66 TDs responsible for, 284 pass completions), one seventh-place standing (51 TD passes) and two eighth-place marks (460 pass attempts, 4,503 pass yards) … Was intercepted on just nine attempts … Rushed for 911 yards and 15 scores to complement aerial numbers … Established a state single-game total offense record with 618 yards during the Vikings’ 83-68 victory over C.B. Aycock, which bested his previous record of 581 set a week earlier (during a 77-67 loss to J.H. Rose) … Selected as the 252 ESPN Radio Player-of-the-Year … Passed for 2,457 yards and ran for another 1,142 as a sophomore to earn team MVP and all-county honors … Accounted for 42 total touchdowns in 2015 … Officially committed to ECU on Jan. 30, 2017 … Also recruited by Colorado State, Minnesota, NC State, West Virginia and a myriad of others … Rated a three-star prospect, was among the top 20 dual-threat quarterbacks nationally and the top-ranked signal-caller in the state according to multiple recruiting/scouting services … In addition to football (4), earned varsity letters in baseball (2) and basketball (2) … A two-time all-conference performer on the diamond.
Personal: Full name is Holton Maddux Ahlers … Son of Morgan and Jill Ahlers … Born at Greenville, N.C. … Has three older brothers … Enjoys fishing and playing all sports … Established numerous Greenville Little League records, including most single-season home runs at age 12 … Persevered through personal losses, which included grandmother, best friend and two teammates, during high school career … Graduated with bachelor's in communication (Dec. 2021) ... Earned ECU Dean’s List honors for classroom excellence (2018 spring semester) before actually participating in high school commencement exercises … Followed with ECU Honor Roll accolades in the fall (’18, ‘19) and spring (’19, ‘20) semesters before regaining Dean’s List status for both semesters during the 2020-21 academic year ... Four-time AAC All-Academic Team selection… Last name is pronounced AYE-lurrs.
RECORDS: ECU single-game holder for passing yards (535 vs. Cincinnati ’19) and touchdown passes in a game (6 vs. SMU ’19, South Florida ’22) … Owns single-season passing efficiency rating that was set in 2022 (151.1) … Pirates all-time leader in passing yards (13, 927), total offensive yards (15,373), passing touchdowns (97), touchdowns responsible for (122), completions (1,127), pass attempts (1,857) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (25) … In The American, established six career records: total plays (2,326), total offensive yards, completions, passing yards, pass attempts and touchdowns responsible for … Set Birmingham Bowl records for most touchdown passes (five) and total touchdowns responsible for (six).
OFF THE FIELD: Founder and co-owner (along with Josh Dees) of Built When Broken, an inspirational Christian-based apparel company that was established in 2017 following the unexpected passing of his best friend at the young age of 21.
2022: Started all 13 games helping the Pirates to an 8-5 overall record which included a 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl – the first win for ECU in a bowl since 2014 … Completed 26 of 38 passes for 300 yards with five ariel scores versus the Chanticleers … Added 48 rushing yards on seven carries with a touchdown on his way to Birmingham Bowl MVP honors … Participated in the Hula Bowl earning MVP accolades after completing 10 of 10 passes for 57 yards with a touchdown passes … Rushed for 22 yards … Completed 22-yard touchdown pass to Michael Ezeike (UCLA) lifting Kai to a 16-13 victory … Also participated in the NFLPA Bowl where he completed 9 of 12 passes for 189 yards and a score on his way to MVP honors and helping the American squad to a 19-17 victory … Lone passing touchdown came in the second quarter hooking up with Christian Sims (Bowling Green) for 42 yards … Also led the American squad to a field goal and an early 10-0 lead in the first half … Connected with Southern Miss receiver Jason Brownlee on a 66-yard completion prior to half time … One of four team captains at the conclusion of the season for the fourth consecutive year … Served as a game captain for all 13 contests … Selected a ECU’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year alongside Keaton Mitchell at the programs annual end of the year banquet … Closed out collegiate completing 315 of 469 passes (67.2 percent) for 3,708 yards … Threw 28 touchdown passes to just five interceptions … Did not throw an interception in nine consecutive contests to close out the season, including a pair of all-star games … Ran for 182 yards on 72 carries (2.5 ypr) with six scores … Caught one pass for 14 yards against Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl … Threw at least one score in 11 of 13 games (multiple eight times) … Twenty-two of 28 aerial scores went for 10 or more yards … Passed for 300 or more yards in a game five times with a season-best 465 against South Florida … Threw for 200-plus yards in 12 of 13 contests … Tied his own single-season record with six touchdown passes against the Bulls … Stands fourth on ECU’s single-season passing yards list with his 3,708 yards … Also holds the fifth (3,387 in 2019) and seventh (3,126 in 2021) spots on the list … Ran for scores against Campbell, Memphis, UCF, BYU (two) and Coastal Carolina … Named semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award (Nov. 16) … Earned AAC Offensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 3) and selected to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll (Oct. 24) … Named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for Week Five and earned a spot on the Midseason Watch List ... Tabbed to the Manning Passing Academy Week Five Honor Roll ... Garnered a Manning Star of the Week as well as a ESPN Helmet Sticker after his performance against South Florida ... Earned another Manning Star of the Week laurel following the UCF contest and was named the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week ... Directed an offensive unit that ranked 16th nationally in passing offense (290.5 ypg), 23rd in total offense (461.1), 35th in first down offense (294) and 35th in scoring (32.5 ppg) … Individually, he ranked among the FBS leaders in passing yards (10th), completions (13th), passing yards per game (14th), completion percentage (15th), passing touchdowns (16th), points responsible for (16th), total offense (16th) and points responsible for per game (22nd) … 139 of 315 completions went for 10 or more yards (48 for 20-plus yards) … At the conclusion of senior season, was lone FBS quarterback with 13,000 yards passing/1,000 yards rushing for a career … Prior to the season, was named to the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy, Golden Arm, Davey O’Brien and Reese's Senior Bowl Watch Lists … Selected as a coach for the Manning Passing Academy in July 2022 … Tabbed a 2022 Fourth-Team Preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection by Athlon Sports.
2021: Started all 12 games during junior campaign … Completed 256-of-414 passes (61.8 percent) for 3,126 yards … Threw 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions … Stood among the nation’s Top 30 in passing yards per game (19th/260.5), completions (21st), total offense yards per game (27th) and passing yards (29th) … On the ground, rushed for 202 yards and six scores on 116 carries (1.7 ypg) … Caught a pair of passes for 27 yards (13.5 ypc) with one touchdown at Marshall (9/18) … In all, tallied a unit-best 3,328 yards on 530 plays – an average of 277.3 per contest … Directed an offensive unit that stood 39th nationally in total offense (433.2) and 54th in scoring (29.7 ppg) … One of four team captains at the conclusion of the season for the third consecutive year … Served as a game captain against Appalachian State for the season opener in Charlotte … Passed for 300-plus yards in a game three times (368/Marshall, 313/Memphis, 405/Navy) … Also threw for 200 yards or more against Appalachian State (295), Charleston Southern (238), Tulane (288), UCF (219), Houston (278), South Florida (220) and Cincinnati (228) … Tossed multiple TDs in a game six times including a season-best three on twice (Temple and Navy) … Twelve of 18 TD passes went for 10 or more yards, nine for 20-plus and two for 60 or more yards (63/Appalachian State, 60/Charleston Southern) … Completed season-best 30 passes (48 attempts) with a pair of scores … Rushed for 178 yards (of his 202) over the last five games including a season-best 78 against South Florida … Became first ECU QB to catch a TD pass in a game since Shane Carden in 2014 St. Pete Bowl (at Marshall/27 yards on 9/18/21) ... First Pirate to throw, run and catch a TD in a game since James Summers in 2016 vs. UConn - span of 52 games - at Marshall (9/18/21) ... One of three AAC quarterbacks to pass, rush and catch a pass in a game this season (Desmond Ridder/CIN and Dillion Gabriel/UCF) ... One of four active FBS QBs during 2021 with 10,000 yards passing/1,000 yards rushing - career ... On the season has accounted for 24 scores (18 pass, 6 rush) and added first career receiving TD ... Named to 2021 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board Watch List ... Midseason Watch List for Davey O’Brien Award (10/19) ... Three-time AAC Honor Roll (Marshall 9/20, Temple 11/8, Navy/22) ... Two-time Manning Stars-of-the-Week (9/20, 11/22) ... Named to Davey O’Brien Awards Great 8 (9/20) ... Named College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention (11/22) ... Third-Team Preseason All-AAC pick by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview ... Fourth-Team Preseason All-AAC selection by Athlon Sports.
2020: Started all eight games played, missing only the Navy contest (COVID-19 protocol) … Completed 165-of-269 passes (61.3 percent) for 1,921 yards and 18 touchdowns while only getting picked off nine times … Ranked among the nation’s Top 30 in three aerial categories – 25th in passing TDs, 26th in completions per game (20.6) and 30th in passing yards per game (240.1) … On the ground, rushed for 109 yards and a score on 54 carries (2.0 ypg) … In all, racked up a unit-best 2,030 total yards on 323 plays – an average of 253.8 per contest … Directed an offense that turned in the program’s 10th-highest single-season scoring average (30.2 ppg) in school history (and tops since 2014) … Selected to the Manning Award and Wuerffel Trophy Watch Lists … Served as a two-time game captain (UCF, Georgia State) … Eclipsed 300 passing yards twice with those performances coming in successive outings at Tulsa (330) and against Tulane (season-high 351) … Also recorded 200 air yards or more against SMU (298), Georgia State (236), South Florida (222) and UCF (215), while adding 182 at Temple in road finale … Had streak of 14-straight games with 200-plus passing yards snapped at Cincinnati (9-of-20 for 87), which also marked his first-ever sub-100-yard outing as a starter … Tallied multiple TD throws in six contests with a season-best four vs. SMU at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium after contributing three each against UCF, South Florida, Tulsa and Tulane, while tossing a pair at Temple … Fourteen (14) of the 18 scoring strikes covered 10+ yards, while three went 60 or more (75 vs. South Florida and Tulane, 60 vs. Temple) … Of the nine interceptions suffered, six came in just two tilts (three each vs. Georgia State and Cincinnati) … Established new personal bests with 38 completions against the Golden Hurricane and a 75-yard run vs. Temple on the road … Also turned in his top single-game rushing effort of the campaign with 70 yards (on six attempts) and scored only ground tally against Owls with a one-yard plunge to cap ECU’s 28-3 victory at Lincoln Financial Field … Ran for 55 yards on a season-high 12 carries in the opener vs. UCF and added 35 on six totes at South Florida to round out other notable rushing contests … Averaged 240.7 passing yards per game in seven American Athletic Conference appearances (136-of-219 for 1,685 yards and all 18 TDs) … Tossed 10 scoring passes, threw only one interception and turned in a 288.0 aerial clip in just three home contests (61-of-101, 864 yards), while netting a 211.4 average in five road tilts with eight picks and eight touchdowns … Enjoyed consistent early and late splits with 1,003 yards and nine TDs in first four games before logging 918 yards and an identical nine score total in the final four outings … Fared better in day games (256.5 pypg, 101-of-173 for 2,282 yards and 12 TDs) than at night (213.0 pypg, 64-of-96 for 639 yards and six TDs) … Turned in top passing numbers during month of October (262.7 pypg) in comparison to September (215.0) and November (229.5) … Was 73-of-104 (70.2%) with 30 first downs gained and seven touchdowns in all first down snaps, while booking a 62.3 clip on second down (48-of-77, 25 first downs, 3 TDs), a 51.9 success rate on third down (41-of-79, 29 first downs, 6 TDs) and a 33.3 ledger on fourth down (3-of-9, 1 first down, 2 TD) … Completed 29-of-56 passes (51.8%) on third-and-long, moving the chains on 18 occasions and accounting for four scores … Excluding sacks, averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 33 “true” rushes and picked up 10 first downs … Netted a team-best 11.9 yards per attempt on 10 second down rushes … Credited with his third career tackle on a solo stop (following an interception) at Temple … Also launched his first collegiate punt against the Owls, a 32-yarder that resulted in a touchback … A fourth-team preseason All-AAC selection by Athlon Sports.
2019: Opened all 12 contests during sophomore campaign … Passed for 3,387 yards (264-of-442) and 21 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions … Completion percentage was 59.7 … On the national (FBS) level, ranked ninth in total offense (3,746 yards), 12th in passing yards per game (282.2), 17th in completions per game (22.0) and 21st in passing yards … Rushed for 359 yards and six TDs on 108 carries, an average of 3.3 per attempt … Established three single-game school records during the course of the season – passing yards (535 vs. Cincinnati), passing TDs (six vs. SMU) and most total yards (556 vs. Cincinnati) … Aerial effort vs. Bearcats also rated as the third-highest single-game passing performance on the FBS level in 2019 (606, 570 by Washington State’s Anthony Gordon) … Trailed only Shane Carden and Dominique Davis on ECU’s single-season lists for passing yards (4th), most completions (6th) and most total yards (4th) … Surpassed 200 passing yards on nine occasions (300/5, 400/2, 500/1) … Accounted for at least one TD throw in nine contests, two or more five times, three or more thrice and four or more twice … Earned American Athletic Conference Honor Roll inclusion following efforts vs. SMU (32-of-42, 498 yards, 6 TDs, 8-25 rushing) and Connecticut (34-of-50, 374 yards, 1 TD, 6-22 & 1 TD rushing) … In addition to record-breaking passing numbers (32-of-52, 535 yards), accounted for five touchdowns against Cincinnati (4 air, 1 ground) … Top rushing outing was a 78-yard, two-TD performance on 10 carries vs. Gardner-Webb in home opener … Also added 60 yards on 14 attempts – which included a season-long jaunt of 36 – against William Mary before recording best AAC ground numbers at UCF (15-47, 1 TD) … Tallied other rushing scores vs. Navy, Cincinnati and Connecticut … Suffered only one lost fumble in 108 attempts (at NC State) … Enjoyed favorable conference & non-conference splits, averaging 326.6 passing yards per game in eight league tilts (196-of-319 for 2,612 yards and 17 TDs) compared to a 193.8 yards-per-game clip in four non-AAC matchups (68-of-123, 775 yards, 4 TDs) … Home/road numbers were nearly identical in six contests – 134-of-230 (1,694 yards/282.3) and 11 touchdowns at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium compared to 130-of-212 (1,693 yards/282.2) and 10 TDs away from Greenville … Turned in strong finish, averaging 374.2 yards per game with 15 scoring tosses in final six outings (190.3 ypg, six TDs in first six) … Closed campaign as arguably one of the hottest quarterbacks nationally, completing 125-of-192 throws (65.1 percent) for 1,715 yards (428.8 ypg) with 14 touchdowns during the month of November, which included the final four contests vs. Cincinnati, SMU, Connecticut and Tulsa … Accounted for 56 pass completions (12 TDs) and seven rushes (1 TD) that covered 20-plus yards, including five of 50+ – 75 (C.J. Johnson/Cincinnati), 72 (Blake Proehl/Old Dominion), 68 (Jsi Hatfield/(SMU, 57 (Tyler Snead/SMU) and 53 (Deondre Farrier/Old Dominion) … A total of 124 (of 264 completions) were for 10 or more yards … Pass success rate on third down was 51 percent (68-of-133) that resulted in 45 first downs and nine TDs … Was 109-of-165 (66%) on first down, which moved the chains on 54 occasions … Was a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth down pass attempts (two conversions) … Didn’t reach 200-yard passing mark until Game 4 (William & Mary) after opening the season with 168 (NC State), 195 (Gardner-Webb) and a season-low 138-yard effort (Navy) … Finished the year with a run of nine-straight 200-plus outings … Prior to aforementioned notables vs. Cincinnati, SMU and Connecticut, threw for 210 vs. William & Mary, 202 vs. Old Dominion, 229 vs. Temple, 313 vs. UCF and 217 vs. USF before closing with 308 (and three TDs) vs. Tulsa … Surpassed the 40 attempt mark four times (52/Cincinnati, 50/UConn, 48/Tulsa, 42/SMU) … Completed 30 or more throws on three occasions (season-high 34 against Huskies, 32 each against Bearcats and Mustangs).
2018: Experienced action in 10 games and made five starts as a true freshman … Did not play in opener vs. North Carolina A&T (coach’s decision) and in season finale at NC State (injury) … Made collegiate debut in Week 2 against North Carolina and played key role in the Pirates’ 41-19 victory at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium … Earned first career start against league champion UCF at home and opened the four following contests (Memphis, Tulane, Connecticut, Cincinnati) … Completed 127-of-263 passes (48.3 percent) for 1,785 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns … On the ground, topped program with 592 yards on 119 attempts (5.0 ypc) and reached paydirt on an ECU-best six occasions … Turned in the second-highest single-season rushing total among quarterbacks in school history, trailing only Leander Green (1979) by a mere 40 yards … Also stood second among all true freshmen nationally in rushing yards and finished as the Pirates’ leading ground gainer in eight outings – 48/USF, 63/Old Dominion, 56/Temple, 45/Houston, 69/UCF, 57/Memphis, 67/Tulane, 130/Connecticut … Stood 11th nationally in yards per completion (14.1), while ranking among AAC leaders in total offense (237.7 ypg), passing yards per game (178.5) and passing efficiency (118.08) … As a starter, racked up 1,985 total yards – an average of 397.0 per contest … Seventy-two (72) of 127 completions went for 10-plus yards (23 for 25-plus), which included a career-long 80-yarder to Trevon Brown at Tulane … Turned in a personal-long rush of 53 yards at Temple, which bested a 49-yarder vs. Old Dominion a week earlier … Selected as the AAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week on Nov. 19 after surpassing the century ground mark (130/1 TD) and passing for an additional 242 yards (4 TD) against the Huskies … Triple-digit rushing effort vs. UConn marked the third-highest single-game total ever recorded by an ECU starting QB in program history behind Leander Green (178/Richmond/1979) and Jeff Blake (161/Northern Illinois/1990) … Posted 27 carries in inaugural start against UCF, most by a Pirate signal-caller since 1982 (Kevin Ingram/William & Mary) … Tallied ground scores vs. North Carolina (2), USF, Old Dominion, Houston and Connecticut … Touchdown passes came against Connecticut (career-high 4), Memphis (3), Tulane (2), Houston, UCF and Cincinnati … Passed for at least 360 yards in first three career starts – 406 vs. UCF, 449 vs. Memphis (second-highest recorded by an FBS true freshman in 2018) and 360 vs. Tulane … Also completed at least one toss of 40-plus yards in games against Knights, Tigers and Green Wave … After racking up 475 total yards in initial start against UCF, accumulated 506 overall yards vs. Memphis … Also established a personal best in completions (34) vs. Tigers before establishing a career-high in attempts (67) against Tulane … Was the only FBS quarterback with multiple 60-plus attempt contests (62/Memphis, 67/Tulane) during the season … Was 13-of-28 for 144 yards and one score in first five games (coming off the bench) before assuming full-time starting role … On the flipside, scored five of six rushing TDs as a backup … Suffered only three interceptions all season (UCF, Tulane, Cincinnati) and was also charged with just three lost fumbles (2 vs. Knights, 1 vs. Bearcats) … Credited with a tackle vs. Tulane (interception return) … Averaged 6.2 yards per carry in non-conference games (16-99), compared to a 4.8 clip in eight league tilts … Tallied 14 (9 passing, 5 rushing) of 18 overall touchdowns at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium … Averaged 328.2 passing yards per game in second half of season (last five games played) after opening season with a 28.8 ypg clip (first five appearances) … Converted four of five fourth down rushes into a first down or score … Officially enrolled early at ECU in January and participated with the Pirates in spring drills … Earned “Top Offensive Newcomer” honors at the conclusion of spring workouts after completing a combined 22-of-36 passes (61.1 percent) for 302 yards and one TD during two scrimmages.
High School: A four-year starter and team captain who led D.H. Conley to four consecutive playoff appearances and three conference titles … Closed prep career as one of the top statistical quarterbacks in North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) history, finishing as the state’s third all-time leading passer (11,198 yards) and second in total offense (14,784) … Also stood third in touchdowns responsible for (201) and pass TDs (145), while ranking fifth in pass completions (670) and sixth in pass attempts (1,157) … Additionally, rushed for 3,586 yards and recorded 56 ground scores … Suffered only 28 interceptions during entire career - an average of just one per 41 pass attempts … A three-year all-conference (first-team) selection and two-time conference player-of-the-year and team MVP pick … Twice named to the Greenville Daily Reflector’s First-Team All-Conference squad, while earning Raleigh News & Observer All-Metro Quarterback honors in 2016 and 2017 … As a senior under coach Nate Conner, helped lead the Vikings to an Eastern Carolina 3A/4A Conference title (6-0 record) and a third-round appearance in the state playoffs to earn Associated Press North Carolina Offensive Player-of-the-Year and First-Team All-State honors … Also selected as the Raleigh News & Observer Football Player-of-the-Year following senior campaign … Accounted for 75 overall touchdowns in 2017, which was the second-highest single-season total in NCHSAA history, by throwing for 61 (fourth-best in the state record books) and rushing for 14 more … In all, completed 223-of-358 passes (62.3 percent) for 3,763 yards, while only getting picked off four times during senior campaign … Added 933 ground yards on the way to 4,696 yards of total offense … Reached the 300-yard passing mark six times in 13 contests with a season-high 464 vs. West Craven … Named the Pitt County Post Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 2017 … Invited to play in the prestigious Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and earned MVP honors after leading North Carolina to a 55-24 win (156 yards on 11-of-18 passing, 32 rush yards on 12 carries) … An Associated Press All-State choice as a junior after racking up 5,414 total yards, which ranked fourth in the NCHSAA single-season annals … Also made a pair of sixth-place entries (66 TDs responsible for, 284 pass completions), one seventh-place standing (51 TD passes) and two eighth-place marks (460 pass attempts, 4,503 pass yards) … Was intercepted on just nine attempts … Rushed for 911 yards and 15 scores to complement aerial numbers … Established a state single-game total offense record with 618 yards during the Vikings’ 83-68 victory over C.B. Aycock, which bested his previous record of 581 set a week earlier (during a 77-67 loss to J.H. Rose) … Selected as the 252 ESPN Radio Player-of-the-Year … Passed for 2,457 yards and ran for another 1,142 as a sophomore to earn team MVP and all-county honors … Accounted for 42 total touchdowns in 2015 … Officially committed to ECU on Jan. 30, 2017 … Also recruited by Colorado State, Minnesota, NC State, West Virginia and a myriad of others … Rated a three-star prospect, was among the top 20 dual-threat quarterbacks nationally and the top-ranked signal-caller in the state according to multiple recruiting/scouting services … In addition to football (4), earned varsity letters in baseball (2) and basketball (2) … A two-time all-conference performer on the diamond.
Personal: Full name is Holton Maddux Ahlers … Son of Morgan and Jill Ahlers … Born at Greenville, N.C. … Has three older brothers … Enjoys fishing and playing all sports … Established numerous Greenville Little League records, including most single-season home runs at age 12 … Persevered through personal losses, which included grandmother, best friend and two teammates, during high school career … Graduated with bachelor's in communication (Dec. 2021) ... Earned ECU Dean’s List honors for classroom excellence (2018 spring semester) before actually participating in high school commencement exercises … Followed with ECU Honor Roll accolades in the fall (’18, ‘19) and spring (’19, ‘20) semesters before regaining Dean’s List status for both semesters during the 2020-21 academic year ... Four-time AAC All-Academic Team selection… Last name is pronounced AYE-lurrs.
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8/26/25 Inside Pirate Athletics
Tuesday, August 26
ECU Head Coach Blake Harrell's Weekly Press Conference (Aug. 25, 2025)
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