Freshman RB Eddie Love Dismissed from ECU Football Program After Arrest

East Carolina freshman running back Eddie Love Jr. is no longer with the football program following an arrest over the weekend.

According to WITN, Love was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, along with resisting a public officer. Police reports say he entered both a Ford Explorer and a Hyundai Elantra before fleeing, wearing latex gloves and initially giving officers a false name. He was later released Monday morning on a $10,000 bond.

An ECU spokesperson confirmed Love’s dismissal, saying: “We are aware of the situation and he is no longer a member of the football team.”

Love was the Pirates’ highest-rated signee in the 2025 recruiting class, ranked as the No. 81 running back nationally by 247Sports. The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native played his senior season at Niceville High School before enrolling at ECU this summer. At 5-foot-8 with speed and elusiveness, head coach Blake Harrell previously noted during camp that Love had a knack for making defenders miss, but with a crowded backfield, he was expected to redshirt this fall.

The depth chart remains strong for ECU at running back, led by Parker Jenkins, London Montgomery, Marlon Gunn Jr., DeJaun Lacy, and T.J. Engleman — all of whom saw carries in the Pirates’ 56-3 win over Campbell last weekend.

ECU sits at 1-1 on the season after splitting its opening two games against NC State and Campbell. The Pirates return to action this Saturday on the road against Coastal Carolina, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.