2025 ETSU Football Preview

East Tennessee State received votes in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.

The Buccaneers finished 7-5 last year, missing the FCS playoffs.

Here’s a look at the 2025 ETSU football squad under first-year head coach Will Healy.

Returning 2024 FCS All-Conference Players (1)

2nd Team
LB Trevor Moffitt (Gardner-Webb transfer)

D1 Transfer Portal Movement

Transfers Coming In From The FCS (4)
Isaiah Potts (DT), Campbell
Trevor Moffitt (LB), Gardner-Webb
Ashton Flinn (OL), Murray State
Colin Rutland (TE), Youngstown State

Transfers Coming In From The FBS (21)
Brian Alston (DL), Arkansas State
Jackson Crosby (WR), Clemson
D’Marius Rucker (RB), Coastal Carolina
Javion Clark (DB), ECU
Chris Davis Jr. (DE), Georgia State
Cade McNamara (QB), Iowa
Jason Duclona (DB), Liberty
Frankie Tinilau (OL), Miami
Drew Francis (LB), Middle TN State
Taharin Sudderth (TE), Middle TN State
Jake McNamara (QB), New Mexico State
Jacolby Criswell (QB), North Carolina
Jason Albritton (RB), Ole Miss
Charlie Browder (TE), Tennessee
Johnathan Cline (OL), UCF
Kaven Call (DE), UCF
William Wells (DB), UCF
Qua Birdsong (LB), UCF
Sterling Galban (WR), UMass
Ki’Shawn Harvey (DL), WKU
Wesley Horton (OL), WKU

Transfers Lost To The FCS (3)
Miada Jones (OL) to Austin Peay
Amir Dendy (RB) to Eastern Washington
Tyson Moorer (OL) to North Carolina A&T

Transfers Lost To The FBS (9)
Jon Hunt (QB) to Coastal Carolina
Jaylen King (QB) to Florida State
Derrell Bailey Jr. (OL) to Georgia State
Jaylen George (DL) to Nebraska
Jayvon Henderson (DB) to South Alabama
JaQuan Adams (OL) to Tulsa
Ray Coney (LB) to Tulsa
Baylor Hayes (QB) to Tulsa
AJ Johnson (WR) to UAB

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Offensive Outlook

East Tennessee State loses its top rusher, top wide receiver, and its top four offensive linemen in snaps. The Bucs return their No. 2 RB, No. 2-5 wide receivers, and brought in two Power 4 transfer quarterbacks with significant starting experience.

ETSU landed two of the splashiest FBS transfers this offseason. Cade McNamara arrives from Iowa, and Jacolby Criswell comes in from North Carolina, two QBs with several starts on their resumes.

McNamara is a former starting quarterback at Michigan and Iowa. He started in eight games at Iowa last fall, going 104/172 for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. In 2023, McNamara started five games for the Hawkeyes before a season-ending injury, going 46/90 for 505 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. Before Iowa, McNamara started 16 games at Michigan, going 13-3 and leading the Wolverines to the 2021 Big Ten Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. In that 2021 season, he completed 210/327 passes for 2,576 yards, 15 TDs, and six interceptions, earning All-Big Ten Third Team accolades. McNamara started one game in 2022 as J.J. McCarthy took the reins.

Criswell adds to the QB competition after being North Carolina’s starting quarterback last season. Criswell, a former 4-star high school recruit, went 186/320 passing for 2,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2024.

ETSU retained most of its wide receivers from last year, bringing back the No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 pass-catchers.

AJ Johnson transferred to UAB after leading the Bucs with 40 receptions for 662 yards and six TDs. Hakeem Meggett looks to step into a larger role after catching 21 passes for 427 yards and two TDs in 2024. Karim Page added 30 catches for 373 yards. Ephraim Floyd tallied 22 catches for 326 yards and two scores. And Xavier Gaillardetz contributed 13 receptions for 211 yards and three TDs.

In the backfield, Devontae Houston returns. His 119 rushes for 648 yards and three touchdowns finished No. 2 on last year’s squad, trailing Bryson Irby’s 145 carries for 763 yards and six scores.

The offensive line loses its top four players in 2024 reps, although it returns three players who played 285 or more snaps. Will McCraw (6-4, 265 lbs) logged 565 snaps, Braxton Shipp (6-3, 290 lbs) added more than 320, and Seth Williams (6-4, 300 lbs) tallied nearly 290.

Frankie Tinilau, a 6-foot-6 and 325-pound sophomore transfer from Miami (FL), is one of 20+ FBS transfers that could play a key role. Tinilau was a three-star recruit out of high school with offers from Auburn, Louisville, Mississippi State, Oregon, Penn State, and more. Johnathan Cline is a 6-foot-4 and 315-pound transfer from UCF who was honored on the 2025 Preseason All-SoCon Second Team.

Ashton Flinn (6-4, 290 lbs) is another transfer offensive lineman named on the Preseason All-SoCon First Team. He comes in with 1,842 career snaps at FCS Murray State.

Wide receiver Sterling Galban has had productive seasons at UMass and Jacksonville State. He caught 25 passes for 210 yards at UMass. And at Jacksonville State, Galban tallied 39 catches for 559 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensive Outlook

ETSU returns six of its top 15 tacklers and seven of its 18 players who logged 200 or more snaps last fall while adding an FCS All-Conference linebacker.

Ty Anderson highlights the unit at linebacker. He finished No. 5 on last year’s team with 40 tackles, including 4.5 TFLs, two sacks, and two pass breakups in 450+ snaps. LB Teddy Wilson added nearly 350 snaps, 27 tackles, three TFLs, and two pass breakups.

Nick Hunter plays the JACK position with an impressive 6-foot-5 and 218-pound frame. Expectations are high for him as he earned 2025 Preseason All-SoCon First Team honors. Last year, Hunter played nearly 300 snaps and registered 34 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Brenden LeBlanc (6-0, 262 lbs) and Dailen Howard (6-1, 260 lbs) provide experience on the d-line. LeBlanc logged more than 420 snaps with 32 stops and 2.5 TFLs. Dailen added more than 350 snaps, 22 tackles, and two TFLs.

Jimmy Bowdry returns at cornerback after playing the fifth-most reps on last year’s defense, totaling 550+ snaps, 30 tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception. Ryan Barrett added more than 215 snaps at safety and tallied 26 tackles with two pass breakups.

Similar to the offense, the defense brings in a handful of transfers looking to make an impact.

Linebacker Trevor Moffitt is a splash addition from Gardner-Webb. Last year, he was an All-Big South/OVC Second Team selection, totaling 65 tackles, including 10.5 TFLs, five sacks, three QB hurries, one interception, and three pass breakups. DL Isaiah Potts brings FCS experience as well. At Campbell, he played 300+ snaps last season and had 17 tackles, three TFLs, and a sack.

Drew Francis is a veteran linebacker from Middle Tennessee State. Francis played in 49 games and nearly 850 career snaps for the Blue Raiders, tallying 99 tackles and three sacks.

ETSU looks to maintain its defensive strength from last fall. The Bucs allowed 20.8 points per game, ranking No. 18 in the FCS.

2025 Preseason Preview Central

ETSU Football Schedule

8/30 vs Murray State
9/6 at Tennessee
9/13 at West Georgia
9/20 vs Elon
9/27 vs No. 12 Mercer
10/4 at Furman
10/11 vs VMI
10/18 at RV Chattanooga
10/25 vs Wofford
11/8 at Samford
11/15 at No. 18 Western Carolina
11/22 vs The Citadel

Bold indicates SoCon games
HERO Sports’ rankings
RV = Received Votes