2025 East Carolina Football Predictions: Pirates Ranked 100th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

By RJ Young
Updated Aug. 10, 2025 9:28 p.m. ET

This isn't your average college football ranking.

My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:

  • Who do I think is good?
  • Why do I think they're good?
  • What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where East Carolina lands in my Ultimate 136.

East Carolina ranking: 100
Last year’s ranking: 114
Top player: WR Anthony Smith: Was one of six players in the AAC to record 700+ yards receiving and catch 6+ TDs.

[East Carolina's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: It ain't that Blake Harrell won four games in a row as interim head coach at ECU last season. It's that he won them all by three touchdowns. That yielded an 8-5 record, and that's getting it done in Greenville.

Now, bump Katin Houser from 2,000 yards passing to 3,000, get those touchdowns thrown up from 18 closer to 25 and cut those interceptions from 11 down to five. I bet you get damn close to eight again. Though games against North Carolina State, BYU and at Tulane are gonna test you.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

East Carolina Win Total Odds: Over 6.5 (+118) Under 6.5 (-144)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.