ECU adds FCS Punter of the Year semifinalist Elliot Huether

East Carolina football has strengthened its special teams unit with the addition of Elliot Huether, a standout punter transferring in from St. Thomas Tommies football.

Huether comes to Greenville with one year of eligibility remaining and one of the strongest résumés among FCS specialists. During the 2025 season, he averaged 47.4 yards per punt, finishing as a semifinalist for the FCS Punter of the Year and ranking among the top three punters nationally at the subdivision level.

Beyond the raw average, Huether’s consistency and control stood out. Of his 37 punts last season, nine were downed, and only one was fair caught. Opposing return units managed just 5.5 yards per return, while Huether posted an impressive 42.4-yard net average, a key indicator of overall field-position impact.

For comparison, ECU punter Tomas O’Halloran punted 21 times in 2025 with a 42.1-yard gross average and a 38.0-yard net. Ten of his attempts were fair caught, and he allowed four returns totaling 66 yards (16.5 yards per return).

Huether’s value doesn’t stop with punting. He also handled kickoff duties full-time for St. Thomas last season. On 55 kickoffs, he allowed 34 returns while generating 14 touchbacks and three fair catches, giving ECU another option as it evaluates its kickoff responsibilities heading into the fall.

A native of Minnetonka, Minnesota, the 6-foot-3, 211-pound specialist was also named First-Team All–Pioneer Football League and finished fourth in the FCS in punting yards per game. His arrival gives East Carolina a proven, experienced weapon on special teams, a phase of the game that often decides close contests.

As ECU continues reshaping its roster through the transfer portal, Huether projects as an immediate-impact addition, bringing reliability, experience, and versatility to the Pirates’ kicking game.