Anthony Smith

Position:
Wide Receiver
Height:
6-3
Weight:
189
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Huntington, Md.
High School:
Huntington
Prev School:
NC State
Major:
Recreation & Parks Management

Career Notes: Four-time letterman (2/East Carolina/2/NC State) … Played in 60 career games making 26 starts (all at ECU) … Tallied 2,140 all-purpose yards (2,095 rcv, 45 rush) … Scored 17 career touchdowns (16 rcv, 1 rush) … Caught 118 passes for 2,095 yards (17.8 avg.) with 16 touchdowns … Closed out career starting 26 consecutive games … Recorded seven 100-plus yard receiving games (3/2024, 4/2025) … Caught at least one pass in 33 of 60 games (multiple 25 times) … Member of consecutive Go Bowling Military Bowl Championship Teams … Named Military Bowl MVP in 2025 … Selected to Associated Press All-Bowl Team in 2025 … Stands eighth all-time in career receiving yards with 1,852 … Ranks 11th on the single-season reception yards list with 1,053 in 2025.

2025 (East Carolina): Earned First Team All-American Conference honors by leagues head coaches … Named Go Bowling Military Bowl MVP after catching four passes for a bowl-record 156 yards with two touchdowns against Pittsburgh … Invited to play and participate in the 2026 American Bowl and the 101st East-West Shrine Bowl … Tabbed a Second Team All-American selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Earned American Conference Honor Roll accolades on Sept. 15 … Named gameday captain for NC State contest … Registered a unit best 781 offensive snaps … Caught 65 passes for 1,053 yards (16.5 avg.) with seven touchdowns … Rushed one time for 45 yards scoring a touchdown at Temple … 20 of 65 receptions went for 15 or more yards … Established new single-game best marks in receptions (11 at Coastal Carolina), reception yards (156 vs. Pittsburgh) and receiving touchdowns (2 vs. Tulsa and Pittsburgh) … Longest career reception was 72 yards for a score against Pittsburgh in the 2025 Go Bowling Military Bowl … Targeted 101 times making 64 grabs … Registered a team-best 359 yards after the catch … His two receiving touchdowns against Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl tied a school post-season record, while his 156 yards are second most by a Pirate in a bowl game … Stood among the FBS leaders (Top 60) in receptions yards (14th), receiving yards per game (20th/81.0 avg.), receiving TDs (38th), yards per reception (46th) and receptions per game (60th/4.92 pg) … Caught at least one pass in all 13 contests (multiple 12 times) … Registered four 100-plus yards in a game four times (136/Coastal Carolina, 150/Tulsa, 143/UTSA, 156/Pittsburgh) … Hauled down touchdown passes against Army, Tulsa (two), Charlotte, UTSA and Pittsburgh (two) … Caught four or more passes in a game eight times … Stood third on the team in scoring with 48 points … Led the Pirates in all-purpose yards (1,098) … Caught 35 passes for 632 yards (18.1 avg.) with five touchdowns in American Conference play … Named First-Team Preseason All-AAC by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and Sports Info Solutions ... Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

2024 (East Carolina): Started all 13 games during initial year with the program … Logged 647 total snaps (646 offense, 1 special teams) … Caught 41 passes for 799 yards (19.5 ypr) with six touchdowns … Hauled down at least one pass in 11 of 13 games (multiple 11 times) … First collegiate start was in the season opener against Norfolk State … Co-leader on the team with 12 receptions of 20 or more yards … Twenty-plus yard catches came against Florida Atlantic (64. 46), UTSA (53 TD), North Texas (50 TD, 44, 23), Tulsa (47, 22), Temple (42 TD, 33), Norfolk State (39) and Old Dominion (31 TD) … Targeted 85 times making 43 catches … Credited with 261 yards after the catch … Threw one pass at Charlotte (incomplete) … Caught a career-best five passes on three occasions (ODU, App State, Norfolk State) … Registered a career-best 121 yards receiving at North Texas on four grabs with a touchdown … Also had 100-plus receiving yards against Temple (101) and Florida Atlantic (120) … Longest reception of his career was 64 yards versus Florida Atlantic in the second quarter … Thirty of 43 receptions went for 10 or more yards (12 for 20-plus, 10 for 30-plus, 7 for 40-plus, 3 for 50 plus, 1 for 60-plus) … Scored touchdowns against Norfolk State, UTSA, Army, Temple, Florida Atlantic and North Texas … Topped 50-plus yards receiving in a game eight times … Stood among NCAA FBS (Top 100) in yards per reception (11th), receiving TDs (77th), total receiving yards (84th) and receiving yards per game (61.5 pg/94th) … 2024 All-AAC Honorable Mention selection by leagues head coaches … Third-Team All-AAC selection by College Football Network and fourth-team All-AAC pick by Phil Steele Magazine.

2023 (NC State): Appeared in 10 games during redshirt sophomore season … Caught a pair of passes for 19 yards … Recorded receptions against Wake Forest (eight yards) and North Carolina (11 yards).

2022 (NC State): Played in four games in a reserve role … Missed last eight games of the regular season due to an injury … Caught a pair of passes for 28 yards (29.0 ypr) with one touchdown … Logged season-high 38 snaps from scrimmage against Charleston Southern … Both receptions came against CSU with a long of 40 … Also played against Texas Tech, UConn and Maryland.

2021 (NC State): Experienced action in all 12 games as a member of special teams unit and saw offensive snaps at wide receiver in seven contests … Caught four passes for 97 yards (24.3 ypr) with one touchdown … Hauled in season-best three passes for a season-high 53 yards and a score against Paladins (42 yards) … Other reception came at Miami (Fla.) going for a season-long 44 yards … Booked one tackle (solo) against the Hurricanes … Two of four receptions went for 40 or more yards.

2020 (NC State): Appeared in eight games logging 31 snaps … Caught five passes for 69 yards (13.8 ypr) with a touchdown … Hauled in a career-best four receptions at North Carolina for 63 yards and a score (30 yards) … Added a six-yard catch against Liberty later in the season … Credited with a fumble recovery on a punt return against Miami (Fla.) as well as a solo stop on special teams.

High School: Played at Huntington for head coach Paul Friel … As a senior, caught 35 passes for 918 yards (26.2 ypr) with 14 touchdowns … Defensively notched 17 tackles … helped team reach the Maryland 3A state semifinals and finished with a 12-1 record … During junior campaign, served as the team’s punter during first year of football … Experienced limited action offensively catching one pass for 22 yards … Also, member of the track and field team where he finished second at the Maryland 3A state championships in the 200 meters (21.96) … Placed third in the high jump … Set Maryland state record in the 55-meter dash and the 300-meter dash … Established school records in the high jump and 55-meter dash.

Personal: Son of Amy Smith-Powell and Everick Powell … Brother Evan Powell is in his second year at East Carolina as a member of the defensive line unit ... Graduated in spring of 2025 in communication at East Carolina ... In 2025, was pursuing a second undergraduate degree in recreation and parks management.