Pirates improve standing with 757 WR after initial visit to campus
Shortly after Dyrell Roberts landed at East Carolina as outside receivers coach last spring, he brought a recruiting presence back to the 757 the Pirates had seemingly been missing for a few years, offering several players in the area. One of those came to Virginia Beach (Va.) Green Run High School 2025 wide receiver Emmanuel Taylor.
The Pirates and Taylor took the next step in his recruitment on Sunday, welcoming him to campus for a Junior Day visit. Taylor, who has offers from Coastal Carolina, Duke, ECU, Liberty, Marshall, Temple, Charlotte, ODU, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, revealed a top three in early January consisting of the Pirates, Flames and Panthers.
“Everything on the visit went smooth,” Gibbs said. “I talked to Coach Houston. I talked to Coach Mattox. They were very welcoming and very knowledgable, answering any questions me and my family had. Overall, it went very well.
East Carolina’s men’s basketball team found a way to come out victorious twice this week in men’s basketball, topping Wichita State on the road, 54-52, before finding a way to rally and top Temple on Sunday, 70-64. Michael Schwartz’s team is now 11-10 on the season and 4-4 in The American. The Pirates will host USF this Wednesday before traveling to Charlotte this coming weekend.
East Carolina has added a commitment to its 2024 high school class just before signing day, picking up a pledge from Starke (Fla.) Bradford High School defensive lineman Torin Brazell.
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound EDGE defender officially visited ECU over the weekend alongside three-star recruit CJ Heard. Brazell went ahead and made the decision to commit. He’s expected to sign on National Signing Day come Wednesday, Feb. 7 in a few weeks.
“ECU was the right fit for me because it feels like home,” Brazell said. “The city loves their football and you can tell and that’s the way it is home. The players I met were all cool, and great teammates. Coach Houston and Coach Tesh, I can really see them as role models in my future.”
Brazell also had offers from The Citadel, North Alabama, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Ohio, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan. He was offered by ECU defensive tackles coach Roy Tesh earlier this week, and invited on the visit shortly afterwards.
“He told me the town loves football there,” Brazell said. “He also said they have some new facilities and the game days are a great environment, along with lots of other stuff.”
Brazell plays on the edge for his high school team at Bradford, where he racked up 62 tackles, including more than 30 tackles for loss, as a senior this past season. The Pirates see the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder as a player who can play defensive end with his hand in the dirt to start his career, with the potential to move inside as he develops further. The Pirates utilize a defensive scheme that employs their down defensive linemen all over the front at times.
“They like how fast I get off the ball with my explosiveness, my hand movements, and my combination between speed and power,” Brazell said. “And I would play boundary end in their
Brazell plans to major in business at East Carolina.
Brazell is the 22nd commitment of ECU’s 2024 class, including high school and junior college players, and the lone one currently expected to sign in February. The rest of the class has either already signed or enrolled in school. The 247Sports Composite currently ranks the group 68th nationally.
East Carolina has four players signed for the defensive front in defensive tackle Javon Williams and projected EDGE players Samuel Riddy, Brazell and Shaikh Thompson.
