Indiana Basketball Connection Helped Put Justice Ellison In Cream And Crimson

Xavier Johnson sold Wake Forest transfer on coming to Bloomington to play football

Todd Golden | Aug 5, 2024

Indiana running back Justice Ellison participates in a drill during fall camp on July 31, 2024. / Indiana athletics

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – When Wake Forest running back Justice Ellison entered the transfer portal, he was like anyone else exploring a new opportunity. He sought out trusted voices to guide him in his decision.

When Indiana came on Ellison’s radar, the Ashburn, Va., native had a very well-connected friend in Bloomington he could count on.

“I didn’t know much about the football, but I knew about the basketball. I played with Xavier Johnson. We both played basketball together,” said Ellison during Big Ten Football Media Days on July 25 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Xavier Johnson (0) works around Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Keisei Tominaga (30) during the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson, of course, is well-known to Hoosiers fans. He was Indiana’s point guard from 2021-24 after he transferred from Pittsburgh.

Both Ellison and Johnson hail from the Washington suburbs in Virginia. While they attended different high schools – Ellison at Flint Hill and Johnson at Bishop O’Connell – they were familiar with one another as players on the same AAU basketball team – northern Virginia-based Team Takeover.

There’s an age difference – Johnson was two high school graduation classes ahead of Ellison – but that didn’t get in the way of Ellison doing his due diligence on Indiana with his well-connected pal.

“When I got an offer from Indiana, he was the first person I contacted. I asked him, What Indiana is about?’ ” Ellison recalled.

The answer Johnson gave appealed to Ellison.

“(Johnson) said there’s a community there desperate for wins. They want to win now. They want those words to be followed by actions,” Ellison said.

The possibility of being part of a building process was what Ellison was looking for, so Johnson’s words rang true.

“That’s what I’m truly about. I think that I am somebody who doesn’t just follow the pack when things are going great. I want to go somewhere where there hasn’t been a lot of success. (Johnson) articulated that to me and I was like, ‘Let me get an official visit and I’m committing on the spot.’” Ellison said.

Indiana running back Justice Ellison runs the ball during a fall practice drill on July 31, 2024. / Indiana athletics

So what is Indiana getting in Ellison? A 5-foot-9, 210-pound senior back who has proven himself in a Power Four Conference.

Ellison rushed for 1,909 yards and 15 touchdowns during his four seasons with the Demon Deacons. He also had 24 receptions for 163 yards.In 2022, Ellison was third-team All-ACC and rushed for 707 yards. Wake Forest finished 8-5 and earned a berth in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.

Ellison split time in the Wake Forest backfield with Demond Claiborne in 2023. Claiborne had more overall rushing yards (586) than Ellison (548), but Ellison averaged more yards per carry (4.6 to Claiborne’s 4.3).

At Indiana, Ellison joins a crowded backfield that will see plenty of competition in August camp. Fellow transfers Kaelon Black and Ty Son Lawton – who came with head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison – are vying for carries. So is fellow former Atlantic Coast Conference running back Elijah Green, who came to Indiana from North Carolina.

All of those running backs have rushed for at least 558 yards in a single season during their college careers. It’s a lot of firepower, there could be issues if it’s not managed correctly.

Ellison isn’t fazed by the competition in the running back room.

“It’s important for me to be a part of something that’s bigger than me. I want to be able to say that this program is left better than I found it. I want to be around guys who came from all kinds of different places that want to do the same things,” Ellison said.

Ellison was one of the transfers who wasn’t completely familiar with Cignetti, though he did get an offer from Cignetti at James Madison. Ellison was sold on the confident coach immediately.

“When I was in the meeting room with him, he crossed his legs, he looked me in the eye and told me, ‘Hey man, come be a part of something special. We want you here. We can do it with you.’ I saw his eyes, I knew he wanted to win, I’m trying to be part of the same thing. Dogs always recognize other dogs,” Ellison said.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti speaks to his team on the first day of fall football practice on July 31, 2024. / Indiana athletics

Like many of his Indiana teammates, Ellison has Cignetti’s assured manner.

“He knows when to turn it on and turn it back off. He gets around the guys and he says jokes that you just wouldn’t expect him to say. The guys love that. A lot of guys aren’t really around the coach like that. He’s a very down to earth guy,” Ellison said.

The combination of Cignetti’s vision and Xavier Johnson’s impressions of Indiana now have Ellison committed to ensuring his one season in an Indiana uniform makes a difference in the trajectory of the program.

“We don’t have to have everyone believing in us, but I know we do. It’s kind of that underdog mentality. It’s OK if we haven’t been the best in the past, but we have to keep our eyes on the present,” Ellison said.

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