Pirates report for practice today

Roughly 104 football players will haul themselves and a month's worth of supplies and entertainment into East Carolina's Scott Hall today.

But they won't have much time for distraction, as they will be immediately due at the team's practice facility tonight. That will mark the beginning of the preparation for the ECU football season opener against Virginia Tech Aug. 30, and the follow-up to a thrilling 2007 campaign that ended with a Hawaii Bowl victory.

Fourth-year coach Skip Holtz and his returning staff aim to build on last season's promising 8-5 finish.

Of today's expected campers, 21 should be seniors, followed by 23 juniors, 24 sophomores, 19 redshirt freshmen and 16 true freshmen. The number could fluctuate based on last-minute qualification issues.

The team will embark on two-a-day practices Aug. 6.

Expected in camp, by class, are:

Seniors (21): LB Pierre Bell, DB Leon Best, OL Stanley Bryant, LB Quentin Cotton, TE Davon Drew, DL Marcus Hands, DB Jerek Hewett, C Fred Hicks, RB Derrick Jones, TE J.R. Kraemer, WR T.J. Lee, RB Dominique Lindsay, LB Dalvon Mack, DB J.J. Millbrook, DL Khalif Mitchell, QB Patrick Pinkney, DS Wilson Raynor, DL Brandon Setzer, RB Brandon Simmons, FB Jason Simmons and DL Zack Slate.

Juniors (23): OL Sean Allen, RB Darnell Ballard, WR Jamar Bryant, OL Terence Campbell, LB Jeremy Chambliss, DL Kwaiku Danso, P/K Matt Dodge, DB Van Eskridge, OL T.J. Harper, C Stephen Heis, LB Nick Johnson, QB Rob Kass, QB Taylor Mazzone, DB Chris Mattocks, LB Lorenzo Osborne, OL Doug Palmer, DL Scotty Robinson, RB J.R. Rogers, DL Jay Ross, TE Martin Tanski, WR Alex Taylor, WR Reyn Willis and DL C.J. Wilson.

Sophomores (24): DL Chris Atkins, WR Javon Brumsey, OL Cory Dowless, OL Andrew Farr, FB/TE Kevin Gidrey, WR Dwayne Harris, DL A.J. Johnson, LB Dustin Lineback, DL Linval Joseph, DB Dekota Marshall, OL Travis Melvin, LB Melvin Patterson, LB Matt Pick, WR Wesley Pittman, OL Doug Polochak, P Matt Przestrzelski, DB Darryl Reynolds, OL D.J. Scott, DB Travis Simmons, DL Josh Smith, TE Willie Smith, WR T.J. Terrell, RB Norman Whitley and RB Jonathan Williams.

Redshirts (19): DL Antonio Allison, OL Steven Baker, DB Derek Blacknall, WR Michael Bowman, DB Emmanuel Davis, WR Darryl Freeney, LB Austin Haynes, FB Ben Herlocker, DB Deandre Jones, WR D.J. McFadden, RB Deronte McNeill, DL Maurice Mercer, OL Hugh Parker, LB Cliff Perryman, K Ben Ryan, LB Steve Spence, LB Matt Thompson, OL Will Towery and DB Devon Wallace.

True freshmen (16): WR Andrew Bodenheimer, LB Brandon Carr, OL Josh Clark, DL Allen Crowder, OL Dalton Faulds, WR Jacobi Jenkins, DL Robert Jones, QB Josh Jordan, OL Kemory Mann, WR Rahkeem Morgan, DB Leonard Paulk, DS William Smith, DB Justin Venable, DB Bill Wallace, WR Joe Womack and QB Brad Wornick.

Missing the start of camp for medical reasons are junior K Ben Hartman, redshirt TE Michael Byrd and true freshman DL Anthony Garner.