Draft Scout East Carolina Player News, College Football: East Carolina

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: East Carolina

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01/30/23 - Holton Ahlers, rSr/2023, East Carolina + More +

East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers was named MVP of the annual all-star game after completing 9-of-12 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown for the American team. "It feels great. I just wanted to come out here and show what I can do, show that I can hang, show that I deserve a spot in this league," Ahlers told NFL Network's Bridget Condon after the game. "Offensive line blocked great when I was in, the receivers caught the ball really well and we just moved the ball. "I missed a few throws. I didn't have a perfect game. I did feel like I played really well. Showcased my skills all week. Not just this game, but when the scouts were out here, I felt like I performed really well all week. I was just ready to come out here and show the world what I can do."

The game capped off a week-long event for the participating 2023 NFL Draft prospects, including practices in front of 300-plus NFL scouts and NFLPA U sessions on the business of football. The American team was led by former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher, who earned the victory over Eddie George, coach of the National team. George, currently the Tennessee State head coach, played for Fisher during his career with the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans. - NFL Network

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QB Holton Ahlers, East Carolina
News Source: NFL Network
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01/23/23 - Jake Garcia, rJr/2026, East Carolina + More +

The quarterback room at Mizzou is a little more crowded. The Tigers landed a commitment Friday from former Miami Hurricanes QB Jake Garcia, a former four-star prospect who appeared in eight games this past season. "I am very thankful for my time at Miami & the support from the Canes family," Garcia posted on social media. "Wishing the best to Cane Nation & look forward to supporting from afar. With that being said, I am so grateful for the opportunity to become a Mizzou Tiger & look forward to starting this journey!" I am very thankful for my time at Miami & the support from the Canes family. Wishing the best to Cane Nation & look forward to supporting from afar.

Garcia, a top 50 national prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, appeared in eight games this past season at Miami, throwing for 803 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. He entered the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday. Garcia started one game in 2022, throwing for 125 yards in a 14-12 win at Virginia. He also saw extended playing time in losses to Middle Tennessee State, Duke and Pittsburgh during coach Mario Cristobal's mostly disastrous debut season with the Hurricanes. Garcia completed 59.1% of his passes for the season. He finished with minus-75 rushing yards. He appeared in one game in 2021, throwing for 147 yards and two TDs against Central Connecticut State. He'll have three years of remaining eligibility. - Post-Dispatch

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QB Jake Garcia, East Carolina
News Source: Post-Dispatch
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01/14/23 - Holton Ahlers, rSr/2023, East Carolina + More +

After a standout performance in the Birmingham Bowl win, East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers continued his hot streak with his performance in the Hula Bowl Saturday, where he was named Player of the Game. Ahlers was named the MVP after throwing a 100% completion percentage going 10 for 10 for 57 yards, 22 rushing yards and a touchdown pass. His touchdown pass was a 22-yarder to Michael Ezeike from UCLA. They were on the team named Kai, with the other team called Aina. Ahlers' team ended up winning the bowl game, 16-13. - WNCT, TV9 - Greenville

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QB Holton Ahlers, East Carolina
News Source: Greenville
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01/06/23 - C.J. Johnson, rJr/2023, East Carolina + More +

East Carolina University (8-5, 4-4 American Athletic Conference) junior wide receiver C.J. Johnson announced his intention to declare for the National Football League (NFL) draft on Jan. 3 via social media. Through his collegiate career, Johnson has posted a total 2,849 yards and 21 touchdowns on 175 receptions, averaging an emphatic 16.3 yards per reception. The fourth year wideout has been a consistent weapon in the East Carolina offense since 2019, where he created 54 receptions for 908 yards and four touchdowns in his freshman campaign.

After being suspended from the team in the spring, Johnson created a comeback season during the 2022 campaign. The season was the most productive of the young man's career as he created his first 1,000 yard receiving season with 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns on 67 receptions. - The East Carolinian

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WR C.J. Johnson, East Carolina
News Source: The East Carolinian
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01/05/23 - C.J. Johnson, rJr/2023, East Carolina + More +

East Carolina receiver C.J. Johnson declared for the NFL Draft, the junior announced late Tuesday night. Johnson, a junior, hauled in 67 receptions for 1,016 yards receiving with 10 touchdowns - all were career highs. Johnson was part of the program's first season with a quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 yards, with a running back and two receivers to go for over 1,000 yards.

Johnson had three games with at least 100 receiving yards, including a monster game against South Florida where we had 197 yards and four touchdowns. The fourth-year player is the latest ECU player to, declare for the NFL draft, leave via the transfer portal or time out due to eligibility. - Daily Reflector

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WR C.J. Johnson, East Carolina
News Source: Daily Reflector
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01/04/23 - *Keaton Mitchell, rSo/2023, East Carolina + More +

East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell made arguably the biggest decision of his life this week. The third-year player announced his decision to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft on Monday via social media. Mitchell finished off back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards when he ran for a game-high 127 yards and one touchdown in the Pirates' 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 27. That performance capped a standout career that placed Mitchell among the best players in team history. Mitchell rushed for at least 100 yards in the final seven games of the season and rushed for 100 yards nine times this season.

He had 15 100-yard rushing games in his career. Mitchell finished the 2022 season with a career-high 1,452 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns while adding 252 receiving yards and a score. His rushing total was the second most in a single season in school history, and he finished third all-time with 3,027 yards. "After lots of thought and consideration, I would like to make my dream come true and follow in my father's footsteps," Mitchell wrote. "I am entering the 2023 NFL Draft." Mitchell's father, Anthony, was a defensive back who played six seasons in the NFL from 2000-05. Anthony Mitchell won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. He also played for Jacksonville and Cincinnati. - Daily Reflector

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RB *Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
News Source: Daily Reflector
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12/28/22 - Holton Ahlers, rSr/2023, East Carolina + More +

Holton Ahlers threw a Birmingham Bowl-record five touchdown passes and accounted for a game-record six TDs to help East Carolina beat Coastal Carolina 53-29 in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Ahlers, selected the game MVP, threw for 300 yards on 26-of-38 passing, rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for 14 yards for the Pirates (8-5). Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, the three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year who entered the transfer portal this month, wasn't as fortunate.

Presumably, McCall's final play in a Coastal Carolina uniform came on a 9-yard touchdown run. He was hit while tumbling into the end zone and never returned to the game. Jarrett Guest replaced him in the first half and played most of the second half. McCall's run gave Coastal Carolina (9-4) a 14-10 lead. By halftime, though, Chanticleers were in a 24-14 hole. Coastal Carolina was fortunate to only be down 10 at halftime. East Carolina had six drives in the first half with four finishing in scores. One ended with a fourth-down stop by Coastal Carolina and the other finished with the Pirates running out the final 35 seconds of the half. Ahlers was accurate on throws of all depths, connecting on 17 of 22 passes for 213 yards with touchdown passes of 27 and 11 yards to Isaiah Winstead. ECU running back Keaton Mitchell was also effective, carrying the ball 10 times for 107 yards with a 1-yard touchdown run. - Coastal Carolina/AP College Football

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QB Holton Ahlers, East Carolina
News Source: Coastal Carolina/AP College Football
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12/16/22 - C.J. Johnson, rJr/2023, East Carolina + More +

2022 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM: WR C.J. Johnson, East Carolina, Jr.,...Johnson finds himself among the AAC leaders in receiving touchdowns (9/3rd), receiving yards (933/5th) and receptions (60/7th) and ranks 14th nationally in receiving touchdowns. He needs just 67 yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in a season while it would give East Carolina a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in program history. Johnson earned AAC Weekly Honor Roll status Oct. 3 after enjoying a career day in the Pirates' 48-28 victory against South Florida in Boca Raton as he tied the school and AAC single-game record with four receiving touchdowns while racking up 197 yards on seven catches. Johnson currently ranks fifth on the program career list in receiving yards (2,706) and receiving touchdowns (20). - East Carolina Football

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WR C.J. Johnson, East Carolina
News Source: East Carolina Football
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12/16/22 - *Keaton Mitchell, rSo/2023, East Carolina + More +

2022 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM: RB Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina, So.,...Mitchell currently leads The American and ranks 11th nationally with 120.5 rushing yards per game. He also paces the league in total yards (1,325) and slots second in the country in yards per rush (7.4). Mitchell is the first Pirate since Tay Cooper (2012-13) to eclipse 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and enters ECU's bowl game having surpassed 100 yards in six-straight contests while upping his career total to 2,900 - just one behind Carlester Crumpler for fourth on the program top-10 list. He owns seven 100-yard efforts this year and 14 in his career, including a personal best-tying 222-yard performance in the regular season finale at Temple where he also accounted for a career single-game high four touchdowns (three rushing/one receiving). Mitchell has registered eight rushing touchdowns in his last six outings and ranks second in the conference with 13 scores on the ground. - East Carolina Football

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RB *Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
News Source: East Carolina Football
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12/16/22 - Isaiah Winstead, rSr/2023, East Carolina + More +

2022 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION: WR Isaiah Winstead, East Carolina, Gr.,...In his first season in a Pirate uniform, Winstead ranks third in The American in both receptions (82) and catches per game (6.8) while slotting fourth in receiving yards (1,013) and receiving yards per game (84.4). Among FBS players, he sits eighth in receptions, 21st in receiving yards and 26th in receiving yards per game. He logged a touchdown in four contests and racked up a season-high 154 yards on nine catches in ECU's four-overtime win against Memphis. With 74 more receiving yards, Winstead will match Aundrae Allison (2005) for the 10th most in a single season by a Pirate. Including efforts in stops at Norfolk State and Toledo, he is 61 yards away from 3,000 for his career. - East Carolina Football

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WR Isaiah Winstead, East Carolina
News Source: East Carolina Football
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11/28/22 - Jsi Hatfield, rSr/2024, East Carolina + More +

NOV 28 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jsi Hatfield, Jr., WR, East Carolina,...Hatfield was a difference-maker in East Carolina's 49-46 win at Temple as he finished with a career-high 174 all-purpose yards, including a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Hatfield had 140 yards on two kickoff returns and had two receptions for 34 yards against the Owls. - AAC Football

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WR Jsi Hatfield, East Carolina
News Source: AAC Football
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11/28/22 - *Keaton Mitchell, rSo/2023, East Carolina + More +

NOV 28 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONOR ROLL: Keaton Mitchell, So., RB, East Carolina,...Matched his career highs with 222 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go with a touchdown reception in a 49-46 win at Temple. Registered his sixth consecutive 100-yard game. - AAC Football

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RB *Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
News Source: AAC Football
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11/26/22 - *Keaton Mitchell, rSo/2023, East Carolina + More +

Keaton Mitchell ran for 222 yards and three touchdowns, and Holton Ahlers threw his third touchdown pass of the game with 1:11 left to lift East Carolina to a 49-46 win over Temple on Saturday. The victory gives East Carolina seven wins for the second straight season. Temple took the lead on E.J. Warner's fifth touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yard strike to David Martin-Robinson with 6:19 left in the game for a 46-42 lead. The teams traded punts and the Owls pinned East Carolina at its own 11-yard line with three minutes to play. Ahlers drove the Pirates 89 yards in eight plays to take the lead. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass on a dead run after evading a fierce Temple pass rush.

Jaylen Johnson broke off his route to catch the ball on front of an Owls safety at the 5 and scored. The East Carolina defense stopped Temple on four plays to preserve the win. Mitchell got East Carolina (7-5, 4-4) on the board in the first quarter, bursting 49 yards for a touchdown and then added two more short runs to the end zone in the third quarter. He had 27 carries and topped the century mark for the sixth straight game. He also pulled in a 73-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Warner threw for 527 yards and five touchdowns for Temple (3-9, 1-7), completing 45 of 63 pass attempts. The freshman finished the season with 2,501 yards and 13 touchdowns. - East Carolina/AP College Football

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RB *Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
News Source: East Carolina/AP College Football
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11/23/22 - Omar Rogers, rSr/2025, East Carolina + More +

2022 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM: Omar Rogers, Elon, S, So.,...Redshirt sophomore safety Omar Rogers has been one of the team's most dynamic players despite missing three games in 2022 due to injury. He has recorded 59 tackles in only eight games, with 5.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks. He also has three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups. Rogers picked off passes on back-to-back drives to start the second half at Hampton, allowing the Phoenix to pull away in a close contest. His second interception was returned 72 yards. He also had an interception against Delaware and has recorded 11 tackles in a game three times. - Elon Football

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FS Omar Rogers, East Carolina
News Source: Elon Football
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11/09/22 - Omar Rogers, rSr/2025, East Carolina + More +

OCT 31 CAA FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Omar Rogers, So., DB, Elon (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township),...Rogers contributed a team-best six tackles, a sack, a QB hurry and an interception as part of a strong defensive performance in Elon's 27-7 triumph over No. 12 Delaware. The sophomore recorded his first sack of the season and picked off a pass on a 4th-and-goal play in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Elon's defense held UD to 265 total yards and posted a shutout over the final 55 minutes. - CAA Football

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