Notre Dame Football's Benjamin Morrison Receives High Praise from Top NFL Draft Podcast

Notre Dame junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison slated to go early in the 2025 NFL Draft, and at least one prominent NFL Draft podcast very much agrees with that sentiment.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) celebrates after an interception in the second quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Benjamin Morrison has been one of the best corners in college football since he stepped onto the football field as a true freshman in 2022.

He started nine games in 2022, finishing as a Freshman All-American, after collecting six interceptions, four passes defended and one touchdown. Teams didn't challenge him as much last year, but he still finished with three interceptions and an impressive 10 passes defended.

As he heads into his junior season, it is no surprise the NFL is taking notice.

The NFL Stock Exchange Podcast, hosted by Trevor Sikkema - PFF's Lead NFL Draft Analyst and Connor Rogers - NFL Draft Analyst for NBC Sports are in the midst of their summer scouting episodes (you should definitely take a look if you haven't already), and they had some high praise for the South Bend standout.

Morrison's Background

As many Notre Dame fans will remember, Morrison was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class out of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona and while he wasn't necessarily a blue-chip recruit according to the rankings, he did have offers from plenty of high profile programs - Alabama, FSU, LSU, Michigan, Oregon and Oklahoma just to a name a few.

Ultimately, he committed to Notre Dame on July 15th, 2021 and has made a name for himself since stepping foot on campus.

And as Sikkema and Rogers point out, he comes from an athletic family, "His dad (Darryl) played safety in the NFL for four years, and all four of his siblings are or were college athletes. Two sisters in gymnastics, one sister in volleyball and his brother played football at Arizona and San Diego State."

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Rogers' Scouting Report

"Outside cornerback with some experience playing the slot, he did play 72 snaps out of the slot over the last two years. He knows how to open up his hips to run with guys and has a sixth sense of when the ball is going to arrive. That really is a difference maker to me. He is extremely physical to disrupt routes, extremely physical at the catch point situations...on hands, on the ball, on the player."

"Once again, a guy that loves to fight through the hands when the ball arrives and that's when that sixth sense pairs up with that ability to be physical, that you kind of take away plays. You take away the ability to go up and get the football, or come back to the ball, or fight for the football."

"He had an 83.6 coverage grade in single coverage last year (2023); 126 total snaps in single coverage, 108 were in press. I don't think he is the most fluid guy, but once again, compete, playing the ball, awareness for the ball, physicality, inside/outside versatility, can run vertically. This guy's got it. He's got the DNA of a first round corner."

Sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) walks into spring practice Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Notre Dame in South Bend. Nd Fb Practice 03252023 / Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sikkema's Scouting Report

"I'm giving him an early preseason first round grade. He just brings so much to the table that you love. He has the athletic family background. He already has a lot of starts under his belt at Notre Dame despite him being just a true junior. You mentioned how well he is able to play in single coverage; 25.5% forced incompletion percentage, which is 97th percentile. That goes to show you how sticky he can be in coverage and how well he can get those long arms up and into these wide receivers at the catch point. The hands...I love how up and active they are in press. His hands aren't down. His hands are up and he is ready to hand fight with you."

"Very great timing, he is very well coached. Very quick to transition when it comes to backpedaling, to shuffling, and opening it up in full strides. I thought those transitions were very smooth from him. Good awareness already and a willing run defender; just a good football player. The weaknesses for him: strength is somewhat of a concern coming off blocks, because he does have a little bit more slender of a build at 190 lbs."

"His stop and start ability is good, but it does leave a little bit of room for really precise route runners to create a little bit of separation on him. And I think he can get a little bit grabby, again going back to some stop and start deficiencies with him, some true change of direction, zero to thirty acceleration if you will, when he knows he can't really keep up if he is going up against a quicker receiver, he can get a little bit grabby. I like Morrison a lot, I really did."

They both currently rank Morrison as the No. 2 corner in the class, behind Michigan's Will Johnson. Link to the full episode can be found here.

They've come out with all of their offensive summer scouting episodes as well as edge rushers and interior defensive linemen.

Make sure to check out the NFL Stock exchange podcast out, as it is one of the more comprehensive and well put together draft podcasts out there, and both Sikkema and Rogers put out great content on their respective sites and social media.