East Carolina's Minshew beats out Sirk for starting QB job

East Carolina has named it's starting quarterback, and it's not who you might have originally thought.

When former Duke pivot Thomas Sirk joined the Pirates as a graduate transfer this offseason, many thought the starting quarterback job was his to lose. It appears now that job is in fact lost, as the university announced Tuesday that Gardner Minshew will be the man to lead East Carolina into the first week of the regular season.

Minshew began his tenure with the Pirates as the backup to Philip Nelson last season, but saw significant playing time to close out the year, including a 336-yard performance against Tulsa on Nov. 5.