Penn State defensive back Keaton Ellis did not hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft this weekend. But he’ll be getting an opportunity to earn a roster spot in the league after signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent, according to PSU sports information department.
A State College native whose father is a Penn State football letterman, Ellis spent his entire Nittany Lion career sacrificing for the good of the program. He was recruited as a cornerback and actually started a total of six games there in 2019 and 2020. He transitioned to safety in 2021 and became part of the regular rotation at that position.
In fact, Ellis started every game at safety as a redshirt junior in 2022. But he was part of a heavy rotation at the spot opposite Ji’Ayir Brown, and actually saw fewer snaps (391) than backup Jaylen Reed (430).
Brown was off to the NFL following that campaign, seemingly cementing a return to the starting lineup for Ellis, who had a COVID season available and opted to take it. Starting appeared to be even more of a certainty when he was named a 2023 team captain and then represented the team at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis last July.
But Reed continued to make strides as one of Penn State’s best all-around defenders and hammered down one starting spot in the preseason. Meanwhile, K.J. Winston — who logged only 114 snaps in 2022 — blasted up the depth chart and grabbed the other first-team job.
The safety rotation most observers anticipated — which would have followed what happened in the secondary in 2022 — never materialized. Reed and Winston both played more than 500 snaps, and Zakee Wheatley played 257. Ellis was third on the list, with 229 snaps in 12 games.
While that was difficult for Ellis, the way he handled the situation had to stand out to NFL scouts paying close attention. Namely, he was the ultimate team player, continuing to serve as a leader and continuing to produce as a core member of the Nittany Lions’ special teams.
“Being a team captain and kind of getting a bigger leadership role and having the title and all that, there’s nothing I really regret,” Ellis said at PSU Pro Day in March. “One thing I did a good job of was keeping guys together, making sure we stayed motivated, and if anybody needed anyone to speak up for them. The biggest thing about being a team captain is being a voice for the team.”
But Ellis sees himself as being more than just a good locker room guy at the next level. Indeed, at PSU Pro Day, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and uncorked a 39-inch vertical leap. He also had a 10-9 broad jump.
“I’m a versatile player, I work hard,” Ellis said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win. I played on all special teams, three positions on defense. Whatever you need from me, I will do it at 100 percent. And I’m gonna come in with a great attitude. … I’m just really looking forward to an opportunity.”
Now he has it.
