From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison.
#20 Benjamin Morrison/CB Notre Dame – 6’0, 190 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Benjamin Morrison | 6’0/193 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Natural, effortless athlete with impressive speed
– Fast breaking to the ball in catch man and in off-zone
– Flips his hips quickly; is very fast in a half-turn run
– Great long speed
– Long strides cover a lot of ground quickly
– Great recovery after losing a step
– Strong eyes and movement as an outside third
– Great break on out-breakers playing press
– Excellent athleticism allows him to bump and chase
– Good awareness in zone coverage
– Confidence rises by using great technique and sound footwork
– Good arm length allows him to jam receivers at LOS, but he shies away
– Good ball skills
– Solid effort in the run game
– Can be utilized blitzing
The Bad
– Does not play physical in press-man coverage
– Hardly attempts to jam receivers at the LOS; this allows receivers to have a free release
– Needs to make contact first at LOS
– Can lose speed when not getting a punch vs shifty releases
– Plays with hands at his side in press man
– Average change of direction vs in-breaking routes
– Needs to get off blocks quicker
– Bad tackling technique
– Worrisome injury history
Bio
– Morrison started the first six games for the Irish this season but missed the remainder of the year due to a hip injury that required surgery
– In his career, Morrison started 26 games
– Full career stats: 84 tackles, 18 PBU’s, 9 INTs
– He was named Notre Dame’s team captain this past season
– 2024: In the 6 games he started, he had 20 tackles and 3 PBU’s
– He was named to the ESPN Preseason All-American team following a 2023 season where he was a finalist for the Thorpe Award
– 2023: 31 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 10 PBU’s, and 3 INTs
– As a freshman, Morrison was named a True Freshman All-American by multiple websites
– 2022: 33 tackles, 5 PBU’s, and 6 INT’s
– He recorded 2 interceptions vs. Clemson, returning one for a pick-6.
– Along with his season-ending hip injury, Morrison had shoulder surgery before his junior year season
– Missed a game his sophomore year due to a strained quad
– Four-star prospect out of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona
– No. 3 ranked player from Arizona and the No. 26 cornerback nationally (Rivals)
– Committed to Notre Dame over Washington and Alabama
– Returned kick returns as a junior
– Has 4 siblings, and all of them are collegiate athletes
– Enjoys listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, which reminds him of his family
Tape Breakdown
The first thing that flashes on tape for Benjamin Morrison is his effortless athletic ability. He can run with any college receiver, which is why he is so effective as a bump-and-chase cornerback. As an outside third, he gets great depth but keeps his eyes square on the quarterback and can fly around the field to hawk down a scrambler.
Additionally, his hip movement is quick and efficient, and he does not take false steps while breaking back towards the ball. His awareness is also impressive in zone coverage, although Notre Dame was a predominantly man coverage scheme. He was typically aligned as the boundary corner, but I am also confident in his athletic ability to move to the field. His technique playing press-man is strong, and he possesses the speed to recover quickly after losing a first step. Morrisons long arms keep receivers within his control, but he hardly uses them to jam receivers.
This leads me to my biggest concern about Morrison’s physicality as a press-man corner. He shies away from jamming and does not like to get into receivers when the ball is snapped, leading to them getting a free release. This is the frustrating part of Morrison’s game because I can see he has the play strength to use his long arms to jam, but he chooses not to. Here is an example of him at the top of the screen (#20) using those arms to jam a receiver, followed by how he plays receivers most of the time, also at the top of the screen.
It is not as if he cannot play physically at the LOS, but he trusts his athleticism so much he knows he can run with anyone. However, that can be a problem translating against good NFL receivers who are stronger, faster, and more technical than the ones he played in college.
As a press-man corner, Morrison can also lose some speed when chasing in-breakers, which he can fix by being more physical when the ball is snapped. He is seen playing with his hands at his side and needs to put up a fight against shifty releases at the LOS. A positive for Morrison is his ability to be utilized as a blister. This was on full display as he was a dash blister vs. Louisville, causing a huge forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
A smaller issue with Morrison is his poor tackling technique. Although his effort in the run game is solid, I do not trust him in the open field being able to make a tackle against a strong runner. He needs to work on getting off blocks soon and driving his feet on contact in order to bring down a downhill runner. At the top of the screen, Morrison shows off his zone awareness on this play but gets trucked due to poor tackling technique.
Conclusion
Benjamin Morrison can be a positive player at the next level due to his effortless athleticism, strong IQ, and solid technique. We will see early on whether his athleticism allows him to play how he wants to, but my bet is he will have to play more physically to be a surefire number-one cornerback.
I am optimistic he can adjust due to the strength he shows on tape, which will take him to the next level. His injury history leaves a lot of things unknown, and the way he performs if he attends the Senior Bowl and how he tests at the combine will play a big factor in what slot he gets drafted in. My NFL comp for him is Kyler Gordon.
Projection: Mid-Late First Round Pick
Depot Draft Grade: 8.7MED – Late First Round (Year 1 Quality Starter)
Games Watched: at Texas A&M, at Purdue, vs Louisville, vs Stanford
