Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 37 Days (Morgan Ellison)

Written by: Alex Compton (@alexncompton)

#37

It may be the dog days of summer but the Hoosier Huddle Countdown is still hard at work getting you ready for the 2017 season by profiling each and every player on the roster. It’s now only 37 days left until IU takes on the consensus top five Ohio State Buckeyes under the lights at Memorial Stadium. Today’s profile features a look at suddenly very important freshman Morgan Ellison.

Morgan Ellison (Freshman)

-Height: 6'1”

-Weight: 221 lbs.

-Hometown: Pickerington, Ohio

-Position: Running Back

On day that was supposed to be full of excitement as Coach Allen and his players were in Chicago for Big Ten media days, we received some bad news as it was announced that projected starting running back Camion Patrick received a medical hardship waiver, ending his football career. This was a guy that was oozing with potential, so much so that Kevin Wilson called him the best player on the team when he wasn’t even playing. There are good options at back sans Patrick, but one name that just got much more interesting to watch is today’s featured player: Morgan Ellison.

You never want players to get injured, but in Ellison’s case, it could be a blessing in disguise. Ellison was one of the top players in Ohio, and had the attention of pretty much every Big Ten team, Ohio State included. Ellison broke his leg twice in high school, and the lack of playing time he was able to have really impacted how many offers he got. Had he stayed healthy, there is no doubt Ellison is four-star prospect with probably close to thirty offers, but he ended up as a highly rated three-star with 10 instead. Would IU stay in contention if Ellison’s recruitment blew up? That’s unknown, but what is known is that IU was able to get a really great football player regardless. 

Like I briefly mentioned above, Patrick likely would have started at running back. With him out of the picture, your top two backs are now Devonte Williams and Mike Majette, with Ricky Brookins and redshirt freshman Cole Gest in the mix as well. Ellison is a much more of a  north and south type runner than these four, so his style alone makes him a guy you want to give some looks throughout the course of a game alone. Even before the injury to Camion Patrick, Ellison was a guy that the Hoosier Huddle staff thought could play right away and avoid a redshirt. Now that Patrick is out of the picture, I think it’s safe to say Ellison will be one of the top backs in the offense for Mike DeBord this season if he can stay healthy. As he moves through his career at IU, you’re legitimately looking at a thousand yard back that can earn Big Ten and national honors. The key with him will be conditioning and health, and you just have to hope for the best with the latter. His running style is somewhat of a mix between Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard, so Hoosier fans everywhere should have no problem falling in love with Ellison’s game this year and beyond.
Please share any comments or thoughts in the comments section or in our message board. The countdown continues each and every day so make sure to check Hoosier Huddle daily as we churn towards the 2017 season!