​It’s still hot outside, the kids are still out of school, and fall camp hasn’t opened yet. But with single-digit weeks remaining until the college football season kicks off, the national media begins relentlessly fawning over Deion Sanders. And it’s also about that time to start previewing Alabama Crimson Tide football. We’ll begin with opponent previews.
ECU, once on a more interesting track, found itself sacrificed to the College Football Playoff Committee’s odd expansion and the SEC schedule shuffle, a shift that pushed Alabama toward a higher-calorie cupcake in ECU rather than renewing a compelling series with West Virginia. The Pirates enjoyed a solid 2025 campaign, but a closer look reveals some red flags in Greenville.
Head coach Blake Harrell is 14–5 overall at ECU, 10–3 in AAC play after taking over mid-season, and has kept the Pirates competitive. In 2025, ECU posted a 9–4 record with a 6–2 mark in the AAC, finishing fourth in the conference and defeating Pitt in the Military Bowl. Looking back, Harrell stepped into the interim role after Mike Houston’s firing midway through the 2024 season and went 5–1, including a bowl win over NC State. Last fall, he guided ECU to a strong 9–4 campaign in the tough AAC and earned a second bowl victory to add to his résumé.
Returning starters are sparse: only two on offense, one on defense, and the punter. According to projections, ECU is bringing back just 42 percent of its production from last season, which ranks 110th among 138 FBS programs. Offensively, only about 33 percent of the production returns (122nd in the nation), while defensively, roughly 50 percent of the production returns (75th). Most of the returning players are not familiar names or are role players rather than full-time contributors.
ECU’s attrition has been significant. The Pirates lost their starting quarterback to Illinois, their top running back to Florida, their leading wide receiver to SMU, and two experienced offensive linemen to South Carolina and NC State, among others, as well as two top tight ends who transferred to Vanderbilt and Florida State. On defense, a defensive tackle and two defensive backs departed for programs that are currently in higher-profile spots. They also graduated several veterans, including 1,000-yard receiver Anthony Smith, who was drafted by the Cowboys. The defensive coordinator who helped shape one of the AAC’s better defenses in 2025, Josh Aldridge, left for South Florida in the offseason, and former OC John David Baker is now in charge of Ole Miss’s offense.
The Pirates’ top returnees include Brock Spalding, the third-leading receiver who posted 42 receptions for 554 yards and three touchdowns; defensive linemen Jasiyah Robinson (five sacks) and Kendrick DuJour (three sacks); and inside linebacker DJ Johnson, who contributed 29 solo stops and 31 assists. Among the top newcomers, offensive coordinator Jordan Davis arrives from North Texas, where he helped cultivate a potent passing attack in 2025. He’s accompanied by running back Ashton Gray (58 carries for 377 yards and five touchdowns) and wide receiver Landon Sides (34 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown). The quarterback competition features sixth-year signal-caller Mitch Griffis, who previously played for Wake Forest and Texas Tech, and redshirt-junior Emory Williams, who previously played at Miami.
In sum, ECU’s picture is mixed. Harrell has shown he can guide the Pirates to winning seasons and bowl games, but the program’s talent level, turnover, and overall returning production present a notable gap to overcome. As Alabama prepares for its season, ECU will be looking to recapture some of the momentum that made 2025 a respectable year. The game will test ECU’s ability to field a competitive unit against a well-established SEC rival, and it will also serve as a barometer for how quickly Harrell’s rebuilt roster can gel. For Alabama, the ECU matchup serves as a reminder that even games against Group of Five opponents carry coaching challenges and talent mismatches that must be navigated with discipline, preparation, and execution.