BREAKING: Four-Star QB Trey Burke Flips Commitment to ECU Pirates, Headlines Historic 2026 Recruiting Class
**GREENVILLE, N.C.** – In a significant recruiting victory that has energized the East Carolina football program, four-star quarterback **Trey Burke** officially flipped his commitment to the Pirates and has enrolled early as part of a landmark 2026 recruiting class under head coach Blake Harrell.
Burke, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound signal-caller from Spartanburg High School in South Carolina, was one of 22 mid-year signees announced by ECU on January 23, 2026 . He had been previously committed elsewhere before ultimately choosing the Pirates, recruited by offensive coordinator John David Baker . Burke’s high school career speaks to his potential: he completed 236 of 420 passes for 3,095 yards with 30 touchdowns across his prep career, earning All-Region honors and leading his team to a 9-3 record and state playoff semifinal appearance as a senior .
“This class is arriving fast,” noted a report on the Pirates’ early signing period, highlighting that 17 of the 18 initial signees would be on campus in January for spring ball . Burke’s early enrollment gives him a crucial head start in competing for playing time, particularly following the departure of veteran starter Katin Houser to Illinois via the transfer portal .
Burke is just one piece of a massive 40-man recruiting class that ECU has assembled . The class leans heavily into the Pirates’ Southeastern footprint, featuring signees from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida . Other notable early enrollees include highly touted defensive back Djimon McLendon, who chose ECU over offers from Georgia, Michigan, and Ole Miss, and versatile athlete David Coleman Jr. from Georgia .
The Pirates also bolstered their roster through the transfer portal, adding quarterbacks Mitch Griffis (Texas Tech) and Emory Williams (Miami) to compete alongside Burke for the starting job . Running back Michael Allen, a mid-year graduate transfer from Marshall, joins the backfield after rushing for 385 yards and six touchdowns in 2025 .
Head coach Blake Harrell, who has compiled an impressive 14-5 record since taking over in October 2024 with back-to-back Military Bowl victories, received a contract extension through 2030 in February . The program also recently hired Devontay Love-Taylor from Miami as Director of Player Personnel/Recruiting to further bolster recruiting efforts .
With 38 of 40 class members already on campus and set to participate in spring practice beginning March 16 , ECU is building momentum under Harrell’s leadership. Trey Burke’s flip and early enrollment represent another step forward for a program that finished 9-4 in 2025 and appears poised for continued success.
