East Carolina features an offense that really turned it on down the stretch of the season, as well as an opportunistic defense. Here is a brief scouting report on several of the best players for the Pirates.

OFFENSE

Redshirt Sophomore QB Katin Houser (6’3 222 Pounds)
Quarterback Katin Houser was a former four-star recruit out of high school who spent the first two years of his college career at Michigan State.

The redshirt sophomore emerged at quarterback after Jake Garcia struggled as the starter, with Houser throwing for 1,859 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Houser is more passer than runner at this point, totaling just 86 yards on 36 attempts, and his best game of the season was against FAU when he threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns.

Look for the Pack to really try and pressure Houser on Saturday. 

Senior HB Rahjai Harris (5’11 214 Pounds)
A fifth-year senior for East Carolina, Harris has been a reliable playmaker throughout his career.

He’s averaged 4.2 yards per carry during his career and had his best season in 2024 with 946 rush yards and ten scores on five yards per carry.

He’s a big, physical back who runs with a toughness and isn’t easy to bring down.

Senior WR Anthony Smith (6’3 188 Pounds)
You may have heard of the name Anthony Smith before.

A four-year backup for NC State, Smith entered the portal after the 2023 season looking to find a place where he could produce, and he did just that this season, leading the Pirates with 38 catches for 767 yards and six scores.

He’s averaging 20.2 yards per catch and was consistent with his touchdowns, recording a touchdown in six of his 12 games, including scores in four of the final six games of the season.

 A true vertical threat with 4.3 speed, you can bet he’ll be looking to hit a long touchdown against his former team, and his type of speed can dictate coverage at times.

Senior WR Winston Wright Jr. (5’10 188 Pounds)
Winston Wright Jr. is ECU’s second option at receiver as he works almost exclusively out of the slot.

He’s been a reliable and productive target with 556 yards and eight scores this year, and like Smith, he’s a former P5 player with stints at West Virginia and Florida State before East Carolina.

Look for the Pack to line up Tamarcus Cooley on Wright for much of the game in the slot.

DEFENSE

Senior DT Elijah Morris (6’2 280 Pounds)
A fifth-year senior, Morris leads East Carolina in sacks with four, a career high. 

An undersized defensive lineman who has solid mobility, the Fayetteville (NC) native is going to have his work cut out for him with NC State’s interior offensive line.

His matchups with Zeke Correll are going to be fun to watch.

Freshman CB Ja’Marley Riddle (6’0 182 Pounds)
East Carolina had a talented secondary this season.

Shavon Revel is projected to be an early round NFL draft pick, even after suffering an injury, and Riddle has stepped in for him and exceeded expectations with his play.

Riddle totaled 57 total tackles, four pass breakups, and three interceptions, and with his size and ball skills he could give the NC State receivers some trouble.

Look for the Pack to avoid targeting him, if possible.

Senior S Omar Rogers (6’1 203 Pounds)
Omar Rogers, the leading tackler for the Pirates defense this season, has been really good.

He started his career out at Elon, where he emerged as a starter in 2022.  He transferred to Greenville and has spent the last two years on the defense, emerging in 2024 with 96 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and a sack.

A physical player, he is comfortable in the box or in coverage.

Junior NCB Gavin Gibson (6’0 185 Pounds)
A Maryland transfer, Gibson is tied with Ja’Marley Riddle for the team lead in interceptions with three. 

The Hickory (NC) native has fared well at nickel, and he’ll likely be in coverage against Justin joly and whomever the Pack lines up in the slot.

This will be another matchup to watch.