Blue White Illustrated

S P R I N G P R A C T I C E W R A P A t James Franklin's signing day news conference in December, the ques- tion pertaining to Keaton Ellis re- volved around his flexibility. Recruited as a cornerback when he committed to Penn State, Ellis also starred as a wide receiver at State Col- lege (Pa.) Area High. His experience on both sides of the ball made him an in- triguing addition to the Nittany Lions' roster, and it wasn't just the defensive coaches who were excited to have him on board. "Keaton had an unbelievable year," Franklin said. "He didn't get all the atten- tion he probably deserved" due to an ill- ness that prevented him from taking part in the camp circuit. But he "kept getting taller, kept getting thicker, and he had an unbelievable senior year. "It's funny… every time he comes to the building, the offensive coaches start talk- ing to him and the defensive coaches get nervous." Ellis enrolled at Penn State in January, and now that he's gone through his first spring practice as a Nittany Lion, the de- bate over his future appears to have been settled in the defensive coaches' favor. He lined up with the White team's defense in the spring game and finished with four tackles. It was the team's second-highest total, and he looked very comfortable in his first public appearance in Beaver Sta- dium. Listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Ellis does not neatly fit Franklin's template for the position. The coach had previously explained that he would prefer his cor- nerbacks to stand between 6-0 and 6-2, but that didn't prevent Ellis from being one of the team's more impressive new- comers this spring. And as Franklin de- tailed following the Blue-White Game, the freshman's versatile skill set is what has made him so effective at cornerback the past few months. "Keaton has been very impressive," Franklin said. "He really did a good job in the weight room. He can run. He's got length. He's gotten stronger. "We like to recruit DBs who like to play wide receiver and vice versa, and he's a guy who has got a lot of natural ball skills. You saw that in high school. That showed up." Defensive coordinator Brent Pry said he was "super excited" about Ellis's per- formance this spring. He had already flashed his coverage skills in practice, both in zone and man-to-man schemes, and his sure tackling for the White de- fense left Pry with a more complete pic- ture of his potential. "The last piece we got to see today," Pry said. "He had some really nice tackles where he put his face on guys, he wrapped and ran through them. I think Keaton is going to help us." Ellis, who was also among the players auditioning for punt-return duties this spring, routinely found himself in a posi- tion to impact practices, Franklin said, al- luding to his frequent pass breakups, deflections and interceptions. "He was able to make a bunch of big plays on the ball. He's confident when the ball is in the air," Franklin said. "A lot of times you have to teach that. A lot of guys panic when the ball is in the air. He's very comfortable, he's very confident, he's very relaxed." Ellis's teammates have noticed, too. De- scribing him and fellow January enrollee Marquis Wilson as "way better" than ex- pected, receiver K.J. Hamler said the two freshman cornerbacks were among the more impressive performers this spring. Safety Garrett Taylor also praised Ellis, while acknowledging that there's a learn- ing curve for anyone hoping to get onto the field immediately. After the Blue-White Game, Franklin all but confirmed that Ellis will likely have an opportunity to see early action for the Nittany Lions. "It's easier to get on the field the further away from the ball you are," Franklin said. "He checks all the boxes right now. He obviously has to have himself a great summer, but he's put himself in position to compete for significant playing time on special teams and defense." ■ Ellis emerges as possible early-impact freshman | FAST START Ellis waves after being introduced to the crowd at the Blue-White Game. Mak- ing his first public ap- pearance at Beaver Stadium, the true fresh- man cornerback was second on the White team with four tackles. Photo by Steve Manuel

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