Pirate Analysis

Taking Stock –

ECU football has a long lineage of standout wide receivers. Names like Dwayne Harris, Zay Jones and Justin Hardy immediately come to mind as the best to ever step foot in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Even now the Pirates are stacked at receiver with guys like C.J. Johnson, Tyler Snead and Blake Proehl all emerging as impact talent at the collegiate level. Each of them have multiple years of eligibility, meaning it will be at least a couple years before a new crop of receivers take over pass-catching duties.

Nevertheless, Mike Houston and his coaching staff have already begun setting that position up for future success with the recruitment of Tyler Savage.

Savage, who is a Virginia product and committed to the Pirates on July 1 of last year, has the raw physical tools to be a difference-maker at ECU. Standing at 6’3″, Savage is taller than Johnson and possesses a 33-inch vertical jump, an attribute that allows for catches over defenders.

Watch Tyler Savage’s highlight tapes here.

Despite being hurt much of his senior prep senior, Savage impressed during his junior campaign, racking up 521 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 40 receptions. The fractured collarbone that sidelined him during his final high school season should not be a problem for Savage moving forward as the three-star recruit will be reporting to Greenville this week, along with many of his Pirate teammates, for workouts.

Coming out of Virginia, Savage was a top-35 recruit in the state, according to 247Sports.com and ESPN.com. He also clocked a 4.64 40-yard dash and 4.33 shuttle last year, per Stephen Igoe of 247Sports.

With a combination of speed and size, Savage could quickly develop into a go-to target for Holton Ahlers or another Pirate quarterback in the future. On tape, Savage is not scared to high-point the football over defenders and can simply outrun some defensive backs.

Savage, like many incoming freshmen, has room to grow and he will likely get that opportunity during his initial season on campus. There does not figure to be much playing time on the offensive side of the football for Savage in 2020, but he will have a unique chance to learn from guys like Johnson, Snead and Proehl who have seen success at the collegiate level already.

By the time his sophomore or junior season rolls around, however, Savage could be the Pirates’ No. 1 target, as his frame and makeup scream potential.