Steady, no-nonsense strong safety ended his career with 34 starts and earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors after each of the past two seasons. An instinctive defender, Ellison has morphed into a coach on the field for the Trojans. While every other member of the USC defensive backfield is superior as an all-around athlete, Ellison, who was lightly recruited out of high school, makes up for a lack of eye-popping measureables with intelligence, physicality and a penchant for making the big play. Of concern to scouts, is whether Ellison has the straight-line speed to handle the transition to the NFL, especially considering the three knee operations he's undergone while at USC.

Positives: Chiseled athlete who certainly looks the part. … Steady, dependable player who graduated a semester early from high school to enroll at Southern Cal. … Signed with USC as a running back and was so physical and instinctive that the staff considered him at linebacker before moving him to strong safety. … Quick to attack the line of scrimmage in run support. … Effective open-field tackler who can break down and make the stop in space. … Flashes explosiveness as a hitter and can intimidate receivers crossing the middle. … An accomplished blitzer from his safety position. … Can avoid blocks on his way to the quarterback and has good closing speed. … Good bloodlines. Brother, Keith Ellison, is a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.

Negatives: Lacks the preferred straight-line speed for the position. … Not the same player in coverage that he is in run support or as a hitter over the middle. … Too often plays the man and not the ball. … Willing to give up the reception to make a big hit and play it safe. … Repeated knee injuries. … Missed most of the 2005 season due to a torn ACL and fractured left leg. Underwent surgery on his left knee again prior to the 2007 season. … Missed five games in 2008 with a torn meniscus in his right knee that also required surgery.

Ellison started for his second season at strong safety as a junior in 2007. Overall in 2007 while appearing in all 13 games, he had 57 tackles, including 8 for losses of 27 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 15 yards), plus 2 interceptions that he returned 9 yards (4.5 avg.), 6 deflections and 2 forced fumbles. He made the 2007 All-Pac-10 first team, ESPN.com All-Pac-10 first team and Phil Steele's All-Pac-10 second team. He won USC's Bob Chandler Award and Co-Lifter of the Year Award. He had 3 tackles and a deflection against Idaho, 3 tackles (1 for a loss) and a deflection at Nebraska, 3 tackles and a forced fumble against Washington State, 2 stops at Washington and 5 tackles against Stanford. He had a team-high 9 tackles against Arizona, 5 tackles (including 1.5 for a loss), an interception and 2 deflections at Notre Dame, 5 tackles (2 for a loss) at Oregon and 2 sacks among his 4 tackles against Oregon State. He added 8 tackles and had an interception that set up a USC field goal at California, 3 tackles and a deflection at Arizona State and 4 tackles versus UCLA. He had 3 tackles (1.5 for a loss) against Illinois. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee prior to 2007 spring practice.

Started all of his 2006 sophomore season at strong safety and did a sound job. Overall in 2006 while appearing in all 13 games, he had 64 tackles, including 6 for losses of 21 yards (with 1.5 sacks for minus 7 yards), plus an interception, 5 deflections and a forced fumble. He made 2006 Collegefootballnews.com Sophomore All-American second team and All-Pac-10 honorable mention. He won USC's Jack Oakie ???Rise and Shine??? Award (biggest hit). He had 2 tackles and a deflection against Arkansas, Nebraska and Arizona. He then had 7 tackles (0.5 for a loss) at Washington State, 9 tackles against Washington and 4 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, versus Arizona State. He added 6 tackles (1 for a loss) and a deflection at Oregon State and another 6 tackles with an interception at Stanford. He had 7 stops (1 for a loss) and a forced fumble against Oregon, a team-best 7 tackles with a deflection against California, 5 tackles (1 for a loss) against Notre Dame, 6 tackles (1 for a loss) at UCLA and 1 stop against Michigan.

Ellison, who graduated a semester early from high school and enrolled at USC in the spring of 2005, was headed to an impressive season as a backup strong safety and key special teams player as a first-year freshman in 2005, appearing often in extra defensive back situations. But he tore ligaments and got a fracture in his left knee while making a crucial interception late in the Arizona State game and had surgery, sidelining him the rest of the season. Overall while appearing in USC's first 4 games of 2005, he made 6 tackles, the interception and a forced fumble. He had 3 tackles at Arizona State, 2 versus Arkansas (with a forced fumble) and 1 at Hawaii. He made the 2005 The Sporting News Pac-10 All-Freshman first team.

He was a 2004 Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tom Lemming All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Division III, Los Angeles Times All-South Bay/Westside Player of the Year, South Bay Daily Breeze All-Area Player of the Year and All-Bay League MVP as a senior running back and linebacker at Redondo Union High in Redondo Beach (Calif.). He ran for 1,661 yards on 230 carries (7.2-yard average) with 32 TDs and had 25 receptions for 414 yards (16.6 avg.) with 5 TDs on offense and 115 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (one for a TD) in 2004. In one game, he ran for a school-record 322 yards on 18 carries (17.9 avg.). As a junior in 2003, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Division IV, South Bay Daily Breeze All-Area first team and All-Ocean League Co-MVP. He had 1,402 yards on 222 carries (6.3 avg.) with 15 TDs and 15 receptions for 161 yards (10.7 avg.) with 1 TD, plus 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions (one for a TD) and one fumble recovery in 2003. He was a 2002 South Bay Daily Breeze All-Area and All-Ocean League Co-Defensive MVP selection as a 2002 sophomore. In his career, he rushed for a school-record 3,718 yards on 578 carries (6.4 avg.) and had 297 tackles.

His brother, Keith, was a linebacker at Oregon State in 2004 and 2005 (he also played at San Diego State in 2002). His cousin, Dominic Ellison, played basketball at Washington State and New Mexico State.