Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Kalan Ellis

What the Orange is getting in offensive lineman Kalan Ellis

Mike McAllister | Dec 16, 2020

Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Kalan Ellis /

Player: Kalan Ellis

Position: Offensive Guard

Height/Weight: 6-5, 350

School: St. Louis School (Honolulu, HI)

Other Notable Offers: Hawaii, San Diego State, UCLA, Virginia

Evaluation:

Frame: If you think about a prototypical frame for an interior offensive lineman, Kalan Ellis is exactly that. He is a massive 6-5, 350 pounds and has plenty of power behind that size. It should not be surprising if Syracuse looks to reshape some of that within the strength and conditioning program, potentially looking to get him down to 330 or 340. Dakota Davis, for example, has a similar build and played this past season at 327. Ellis may not get down to quite that number, but do not be surprised if you see him transform during his Orange career.

Athleticism: Despite his size, Ellis moves quite well. He uses his legs to drive opposing linemen at the point of attack. Ellis can pull and get to the second level.

Polish: Ellis is more polished as a run blocker than in pass protection. He has good pad level, is able to get into his opponent and keep them on the block, while also bouncing off at the right time to get to a linebacker or safety and spring his running back. The next step in his development is working on pass protection both in terms of footwork and hand technique.

Bottom Line: How can you not like the size and strength Ellis brings to the table? Now it is up to him to work hard on developing and refining his technique, but the upside is certainly there.

Published Dec 16, 2020

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.