Predicting the 2026 Alabama Football Opponents’ Season: East Carolina Pirates
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It’s still hot outside, the kids are still out of school, and fall camp has yet to open. However now that we are in single-digit weeks until the college football season begins, it’s about that time of year that the national press starts sucking up to Deion Sanders. Oh yeah. And time we start previewing Alabama Crimson Tide football. We begin with opponent previews.
Due to the buffoonery of the College Football Playoff Committee and the expansion to nine SEC game dockets, Alabama made a decision to cancel an intriguing series with West Virginia in favor of a higher calorie cupcake ECU. The Pirates had a fine season in 2025. However, a closer look shows problems in Greenville.
GAME 1, SEPT 5: EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
Coach: Blake Harrell (14–5, 10-3 AAC after a season and a half)
2025 record: 9-4 (6-2 in AAC, 4th in the conference, Military Bowl win over Pitt)
Looking back: Harrell became interim head coach after Mike Houston’s firing following week 7 of the 2024 season and finished with a 5-1 record including a bowl win over big brother NC State. Last fall, he led the Pirates to a strong 9-4 season in the competitive AAC and added a second bowl win to his resume.
Returning starters: 2 on offense, 1 on defense, punter.
Key losses: According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the Pirates are returning 42 percent of their production from last season, which ranks 110th of 138 FBS teams. 33 percent of the offense is back (122nd in the country) and 50 percent of the defense returned (75th). However, most of the returning players are occasional or non-starters.
ECU lost their starting quarterback (to Illinois), running back (Florida), wide receiver (SMU), two offensive linemen (South Carolina, NC State), and top two tight ends (Vandy, FSU) to the Upgrade Portal. On the other side of the ball, a defensive tackle (Virginia) and two members of the secondary (UGA, Fla) were among those who transferred to bigger programs. ECU also lost several players to graduation – including 1,000+ yard receiver Anthony Smith who was drafted by the Cowboys.
Defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge assembled one of the AAC’s top defenses in 2025, but he left for South Florida in the off-season. Former OC John David Baker now heads up Ole Miss’s offense.
Top returnees: Third-leading receiver Brock Spalding (42 rec, 554 yds, 3 TD), DL Jasiyah Robinson (5 sacks), DL Kendrick DuJour (3 sacks), LB DJ Johnson (29 solo, 31 asst).
Top newcomers: Offensive coordinator Jordan Davis arrives from North Texas where he helped guide one of the most potent passing attacks of 2025. Coming with him from UNT are RB Ashton Gray (58 rush, 377 yds, 5 TD) and WR Landon Sides (34 rec, 449 yds, 1 TD). The QB battle is between 6th year Mitch Griffis (from Wake Forest > Texas Tech) and RS-JR Emory Williams (Miami-FL).
Jordon Hankins was hired away from Memphis to serve as defensive coordinator. He had been with the Blue Tigers since 2021 under former head coach Ryan Silverfield who took the head job at Arkansas and did not bring him along.
Other major new players of note include RB Michael Allen (Marshall; 77 rush, 385 yds, 4 TD) and C Brandon Best (Georgia Tech>Kennesaw State). They are among the 23 new players who are portalling in – many of whom are expected to start.
Strengths: Head Coach (defensive background) and new OC are hot up and comers that should put up some points… wide receiver depth…experienced defensive line… decent schedule…
Weaknesses: SO much personnel turnover, both coaching staff and players. Can they gel in time to get something going?… offensive line rebuild… Neither QB really wows… all new secondary… special teams coverage…
Outlook: Harrell is an exciting young coach and has done some good things in his short tenure in Greenville. This rebuild will be tough but the Pirates should be top half of the AAC and get to a bowl game.
Odds: FanDuel has Bama as a 25.5 point favorite with an over/under of 54.5. Vegas Win Total for the Pirates is set at 7.5. Eight wins seems about right.
2026 ECU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
- Sat, Sep 5 @ Alabama – L
- Sat, Sep 12 vs App State – W
- Sat, Sep 19 @ Old Dominion – W
- Sat, Sep 26 vs North Carolina Central – W
- Sat, Oct 10 vs Rice – W
- Thu, Oct 15 @ UAB – W
- Thu, Oct 22 @ Memphis – L
- Sat, Oct 31 vs Temple – W
- Fri, Nov 6 vs South Florida – L
- Sat, Nov 14 @ Charlotte – W
- Sat, Nov 21 @ Army – L
- Fri, Nov 27 vs Florida Atlantic – W
2026 ALABAMA SCHEDULE:
- Sat, Sep 5 vs East Carolina
- Sat, Sep 12 @ Kentucky
- Sat, Sep 19 vs Florida State
- Sat, Sep 26 vs South Carolina
- Sat, Oct 3 @ Mississippi State
- Sat, Oct 10 vs Georgia
- Sat, Oct 17 @ Tennessee
- Sat, Oct 24 vs Texas A&M
- Sat, Nov 7 @ LSU
- Sat, Nov 14 @ Vanderbilt
- Sat, Nov 21 vs Chattanooga
- Sat, Nov 28 vs Auburn
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