Benjamin Morrison Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
School: Notre Dame
Class: Junior
Position: CB
HT: 6’0
WT: 185 lbs
Background: Benjamin Morrison was a 4-star cornerback out of Phoenix, Arizona. Benjamin has four siblings, all of which are collegiate athletes in their respective sports. Morrison was a top 40 cornerback in the class of 2022 and was a top 5 player in Arizona. Benjamin prepped at Brophy College Preparatory, where he was both a cornerback and kick returner. As a senior in high school, Morrison recorded 53 tackles and 2 interceptions on his way to being named a First Team All-Region selection. After his prep career, he participated in the Polynesian Bowl. Morrison committed to Notre Dame despite efforts from Oregon, Washington, and others.
College: Morrison made an immediate impact as a freshman for Notre Dame. Morrison logged 6 interceptions that season and was named a Freshman All-American. Morrison led the Irish in 2023 with 10 pass breakups. He also added 3 interceptions in 11 starts as a sophomore. As a team captain in 2024, Morrison went down with a hip injury in Week 7, causing him to miss the rest of the season. With that being said, his impact was felt when healthy.
Strengths: Benjamin Morrison excels as a press man cornerback on the boundary. He has the frame and the strength to jam the bigger and more physical X receivers in the country. Morrison gets low in his backpedal before exploding into his sprint to stay in stride with his man. He is a technician with excellent footwork to pair with elite ball skills. The proof of those ball skills are apparent in his interception and PBU numbers over his career at Notre Dame. Morrison has excellent closing speed once he has locked in on the target. He reads the quarterbacks eyes and meets the football at the targeted receiver, leading to either a pass breakup or just preventing the receiver from gaining extra yards. Morrison does well to use the boundary as an extra teammate. He forces receivers to the boundary, taking them completely out of the play at times. He does not give his man room to breathe on the outside. Morrison also had some snaps at nickel, where he more than held his own with the twitchy slot receivers.
Weaknesses: Morrison needs to improve as a run defender. He has too many missed tackles where he takes a bad route to the ball and throws an arm out in a weak attempt tackle the ball carrier. It would benefit Morrison to throw on a few pounds of muscle. He excels as a physical press cornerback, but going up against the biggest receivers in the NFL will be a huge test for him. Morrison also has difficulty shedding blocks. He gets sucked into the screen game and gets taken out of the play consistently.
Conclusion: Benjamin Morrison is a very effective cornerback with elite instincts and playmaking ability. His athleticism allows him to compete with the best receivers in the country. If he can add some muscle and improve his tackling, he will check all of the boxes as a cornerback. He will be looked at as a boundary corner but could be put at nickel if he does not bulk up or hold up on the outside.
Scheme Fit: Press Coverage
Ideal Role: Boundary CB
Best Team Fits: BUF, BAL, KC
Player Comparison: Trent McDuffie
Player Grade: Round 1 (92.4)
