Smith, McCrimon Earn SIS Preseason All-AAC Honors

Photo Credit ( Stephon Igoe, 247 Sports )

Two Pirates have been recognized as among the American Athletic Conference’s best heading into the 2025 season. Senior wide receiver Anthony Smith and redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Jimarion McCrimon both landed spots on the Sports Info Solutions (SIS) preseason All-AAC team.

Unlike many preseason lists that focus strictly on stats, SIS used its advanced “Total Points” grading system to make the picks. The metric takes into account nearly every part of a player’s game — from breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch to winning blocks and pressuring the quarterback — to give an overall value score.

Smith’s selection comes as no surprise after his big-play production last fall. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, the graduate senior averaged 19.2 yards per catch, finishing with 42 receptions for 805 yards and six touchdowns. He dropped only three passes on 84 targets and had multiple catches in 11 of 13 games, including three or more in each of the last seven. His contributions as a run blocker also rated above average, adding to his all-around value.

McCrimon, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound redshirt sophomore, broke into the starting lineup midway through last season and showed steady improvement at right tackle. He logged 620 snaps as a first-year starter and earned a 65.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Now making the move to left tackle, McCrimon is expected to anchor the line in 2025.

The SIS preseason defensive team didn’t feature any ECU players, though nine programs were represented. Memphis quarterback Brandon Lewis — a Utah State transfer — took the top QB spot, while Army placed three players on the first-team offense. Tulane had the most defensive selections, led by edge rushers Kameron Hamilton and Mo Westmoreland.