Report: East Carolina names Mitch Griffis starting QB

Report: East Carolina names Mitch Griffis starting QB

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Report: East Carolina names Mitch Griffis starting QB
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 15: Mitch Griffis #12 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the second half of the game against the UCF Knights at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The East Carolina Pirates have settled their two-man quarterback competition.

Mitch Griffis was named the Week 1 starter, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. However, Emory Williams is also expected to see action in the Sept. 5 opener at Alabama.

Both Griffis and Williams transferred to ECU this offseason in hopes of filling the vacancy left by two-year starter Katin Houser, who departed for Illinois in early January.

Griffis is a seventh-year senior who spent the majority of his college career at Wake Forest (2020-23). Griffis spent 2023 as the Demon Deacons’ primary starter, firing for 1,553 yards, nine touchdowns, and seven interceptions across nine starts. Following that season, he intended to transfer to Marshall. However, in June 2024, he stepped away from football and never played down with the Thundering Herd. Griffis transferred to Texas Tech prior to the 2025 season, where he served as the third-string behind Behren Morton and Will Hammond. He completed 26-of-36 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns in limited action.

Griffis arrives to ECU with 10 starts, 2,314 career passing yards, 17 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, a 61.2 completion rate, and 137 rushing yards. He will turn 25 years old four days after making the Week 1 start at Alabama.

Williams begins the year as Griffis’ backup after spending the last three seasons at Miami (FL). He logged his only two starts as a true freshman with the Hurricanes — a 28-20 double-overtime upset win over Clemson and a 27-20 defeat to No. 4 Florida State. Williams finished that season with five total appearances, generating 470 passing yards and three touchdowns to one interception. His playing time scaled down in 2024 and 2025 as the Hurricanes acquired transfer quarterbacks Cam Ward and Carson Beck, but he still threw 45 combined passes in those seasons.

Williams arrives to ECU with two starts, 813 career passing yards, four touchdown passes, two interceptions, a 62.9 completion rate, and two rushing yards.

ECU opens as four-touchdown underdogs to reigning SEC runner-up and 2025 College Football Playoff quarterfinalist Alabama. It will be the programs’ first meeting since 1998. Kickoff in Tuscaloosa is slated for 12 p.m. ET on ABC.

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