ECU's Freshman Will be a Household Name in 2025
VP finds an interesting player comparison for Yannick Smith next season.
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
- Carl Sagan, scientist
Carl Sagan, a highly esteemed scientist of his era, is best remembered for his groundbreaking research on the potential existence of extraterrestrial life. Among his many achievements, he spearheaded the creation of humanity’s first interstellar messages—artifacts designed to convey universal concepts that, in theory, could be understood by any extraterrestrial beings who might encounter them.
Had Sagan still been with us today, this week’s player might have compelled him to reconsider the trajectory of humanity’s interstellar messaging, because I think I’ve discovered an alien right here on Earth—in Summerville, South Carolina.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about ECU’s Yannick Smith. On Valentine’s Day last year, I highlighted some of the late risers in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and Smith was among those featured. Here’s the excerpt I used at the time, sourced from 247 Sports:
“Should have signed with a Power Five.”
That’s what an SEC staffer had to say about Yannick Smith, who initially caught our eye at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas in December. Smith is a decorated basketball player that was named South Carolina’s Class 5A Basketball Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 18.5 points per game for Summerville.
He can produce on the gridiron, too. As a senior, Smith caught 69 passes for 1,528 yards and 19 touchdowns while also rushing for 405 yards and five more scores.
Kentucky and some other SEC schools kicked the tires on Smith down the stretch, but he stayed true to his word and looks like he could emerge as the focal point of the Pirates’ offense in the coming years given how he eats up cushion with his release and finds ways to get into the end zone.
Like so many knucklehead moves I’ve made in CFFNate’s dynasty league, I acquired Smith briefly only to drop him a few days later during the season in September. Smith actually had a notable start to the year with three receptions for 47 yards against Norfolk. He then went quiet for most of the season, typically seeing around 1-4 targets per game.
However, he ended the year on a high note. In his last three games (which also coincides with when QB Katin Houser was the starter, who took over in October), Smith saw seven, eight, and six targets. In 1PPR formats, Smith scored 10, 24, and 15 points over those three games. His best performance came against North Texas, where he caught seven of his eight targets for 112 yards and a score. He ended up leading ECU in receiving in their bowl game vs. NC State with three receptions for 56 yards.
FYI, I have already compiled a rather lengthy list of subjects I want to write about for the year 2025, and I spent some time thinking about which player I wanted to feature first as part of the offseason content for the new year. I landed on Smith because I am really excited about the potential here in 2025.
In fact, his profile reminds me of a former favourite of mine from 2024—UW’s redshirt sophomore WR Denzel Boston (6’4, 210). I think you’ll find, as I did, that there are many similarities between the two profiles as we progress through the contents of this article. Boston had a quiet end to the year, but he was effective in many of UW’s contests this season and figures to be in for another big year in 2025 himself.
Coaching & System
WR1 PPG AVERAGE — HC: NA — OC: 13.581 (half PPR)
John David Baker is the primary play caller at ECU and he holds the title of OC. He was formerly employed by Ole Miss in various capacities:
Ole Miss co-OC/TE 2022-23
Ole Miss PGC/TE 2021
Prior to Ole Miss, he was the TEs coach at USC in 2020.
Thanks to Joe (PurpleReign), we now have an additional feature for our tables (see Table 1.), and that is the role of the WR1, WR2… etc. historically under each coach.
The quality of this information, as always, varies depending on how large of a sample size we have to asses. In this case, OC John David Baker has not been in a play calling role very long, starting off at Ole Miss before taking over as OC at ECU. According to the Ole Miss team website, Baker actually took over as co-OC in 2022, and served in that role for two seasons. However, the data we have on him only goes back to 2023.
As I mentioned with these articles last offseason, any time the target share for the WR1 is over 20%, that’s a good start. It was that way in 2023 at Ole Miss, but dipped below that last season at ECU. The PPG numbers you see in Table 1 are quoted in half ppr.
Below is a table with both the WR1 and WR2 stats from the last two seasons. You’ll probably have to zoom in to see it, or click on the image.
In fact, target share for both WRs was above 20% on that 2023 Ole Miss team. The top three WRs for Ole Miss generally got a lot of run, but that also likely played an influence in none of those players going over 1000 yards. WRs don’t necessarily have to achieve that mark to be a CFF notable asset (Denzel Boston finished with 800 yards this past season, while averaging over 16 PPG in 1PPR formats), but it is a good marker to use to look for value. Ole Miss’ top receivers finished with 971 (Malik Heath) and 985 (Tre Harris) yards in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Interestingly, Harris (6’3, 210) averaged around the same PPG in 2023 as Boston did in 2024. All that to say, while I think Smith will have a good opportunity to become Baker’s first 1000-yarder at receiver in 2025, the role that he plays, matched with what Baker has done in the past suggests that he could be a valuable player based off of TD production more so than yardage. Still, I think if Smith were to hit something approximating what Harris did in 2023, or what my player comp Denzel Boston did in 2024, I think that would be a big success.
In terms of the infrastructure around Smith, ECU returns a strong QB in Katin Houser for 2025. The new head coach was the DC at ECU this past season, but the OC, as mentioned, returns. Baker’s offence at ECU was the third fastest offence in seconds per play in the FBS with 21.6, and they finished 48th in the FBS in plays run per game at 70.5 in 2024.
Baker’s play calling split in 2023 at Ole Miss skewed heavily to the pass (57/43), but his ECU offence was much more balanced (52/48 in favour of the air).
Yannick Smith (6’3, 215)
2024 STATS: 22(36) - 378 - 3 (6.5 PPG)
Like the names mentioned above, Smith is a classic X (outside/boundary) receiver based on his physique. His metrics are actually very similar to Tre Harris’, who stands at 6’3, 210 pounds.
Smith had a good year by true freshman standards. Even better when considering that there was a QB change midseason, and the head coach was fired. That’s a lot of dysfunction in the program, and the cards are already stacked against true freshmen players making an impact in year one, so Smith’s numbers are pretty impressive.
We saw from the comments by 247 Sports that Smith was a late riser in his cycle, and that he had some SEC buzz in his recruitment. The transfer portal season still isn’t over yet, and the spring period will bring even more movement, but for now ECU has managed to hold onto Smith, who figures to end his career elsewhere before it’s all said and done. Assuming we make it to 2025, Smith is inline for a big year at ECU in my opinion. The numbers around him in the system would back that up.
Additionally, there are targets leaving the room. WR2 Chase Sowell is moving onto Iowa State. WR1 Anthony Smith is a senior, who from what I can tell has one more season of eligibility left, but he may try his hand at the NFL or the transfer portal as well. For now, he is still on the roster. WR3 Winston Wright is out of eligibility and will be moving on. Between Sowell and Wright, that’s 88 receptions, over 1200 yards and 11 scores exiting the room. Yannick Smith was WR4 by yardage.
OU transfer Jacquez Pettaway is entering the room. He is formerly a high four star rated player from Texas, who is entering his third year. His career total yardage of 157 is lower than Smith’s single season last year. However, I do think Pettaway is going to be a big part of this offence as well. I used the player comparison of Denzel Boston for Smith earlier because the situations in my mind are quite similar. Boston had Will Rogers, who was a veteran QB returning to CFB, and a running mate in the slot Giles Jackson, who also had a good year.
ECU could look very similar this year with Houser returning as starter at QB, a new head coach taking over, and a TD merchant on the outside in Yannick Smith paired with a gadget guy in the slot via Pettaway.
Of course, Anthony Smith will having something to say about this as well if he returns. I still think both Smiths can eat in this offence should Anthony return and Yannick secure the other boundary role. ◾
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Sample size 2018-2024 excluding COVID season.