ROCKINGHAM — Following his breakout sophomore season in 2023, Terande Spencer saw his collegiate football stock rise with another strong performance during his junior campaign last fall.
Considered by many as one of North Carolina’s best edge rushers in the class of 2026, Spencer has declared his home following his playing days at Richmond Senior High School.
Last month, Spencer posted on X (the site formerly known as Twitter) that he was verbally committing to East Carolina University.
The first Richmond Raider football player to verbally commit this year, Spencer will become the third Richmond County product in the past four years to play for the Pirates in Greenville. He follows JD Lampley (2022), a second-team All-AAC pre-season defensive lineman, and Jacoby Martin (2024).
“I’m thankful and blessed to have an opportunity to play at the highest level,” Spencer shared. “The recruitment process wasn’t that hard and ECU had shown a lot of interest in me from the beginning.
“That connection made it feel like home, so it wasn’t hard for me to choose,” he added. “My coaches and my dad really helped me a lot through the process. I’m thankful for them supporting me and helping me the whole way through and they helped me by truthfully telling me how the environment was and how other people’s experiences were that they knew.”
The reigning All-Sandhills Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year saw his college recruitment interest pick up during the most recent offseason, especially from Division I programs.
Spencer’s first official offer came from The University of North Carolina on Jan. 9, which was followed by Troy University the same day. ECU’s offer came later that month on Jan. 21.
Other Division I offers included North Carolina A&T State University, UNC Charlotte, The University of South Florida and Appalachian State University. Spencer went on an official visit to ECU on April 10.
Among the many aspects about the program that helped him decide between all of the offers was East Carolina’s overall environment, including the relationship between the coaching staff and players.
“ECU was just really great,” Spencer recalled. “Their facilities are something special and the environment just seems calm and the people are nice to be around. The community is just great and the best I’ve been in.
“And the coaches were close with the players and everyone is close, which is important to me,” he continued. “They’re getting a new indoor facility next season, which is exciting. It’s just a really nice program overall and it felt like the best opportunity for me.”
In 13 games last season, which resulted in Richmond making the third round of the state playoffs for the first time in five years, Spencer totaled 101 tackles (55 solo, 46 assists). He averaged 7.8 tackles per game.
Quick off the edge, Spencer’s biggest contribution was getting into the backfield. He recorded a conference-best 17.0 quarterback sacks (1.3 sacks per game) and was tied with teammate K’Mauri Morgan for the conference lead in QB hurries (15).
Spencer totaled 36 tackles-for-loss, which led the SAC, and he was ranked second in the 4A East in TFL. He also ranked third in the 4A East in total sacks. Spencer recorded three fumble recoveries, forced three fumbles and had two interceptions.
While he hasn’t participated much during Richmond’s summer practices following leg surgery earlier in the offseason, Spencer fully expects to be ready and lined up across from opposing offenses starting Week 1.
A student of the game, Spencer said his focus will be to continue to get better at his position and prepare himself as much as possible for the next level.
“I hope to do something no one has ever done here and leave my mark so I will be remembered,” Spencer shared. “There’s a lot I still need to work on, so I’m going to continue learning and getting better everyday before the season.
“I would like to thank the whole coaching staff at Richmond,” he closed. “They have helped me so much with everything and I wouldn’t be in this position without them.”
East Carolina is coached by Blake Harrell and went 8-5 in 2024. Finishing fifth in the AAC, the Pirates won four of their final five games to become bowl eligible and defeated North Carolina State 26-21 in the Military Bowl.
Spencer plans to major in business management at ECU. The Richmond Raiders open the 2025 season Aug. 22 at non-conference Hoggard High School.
