Benjamin James Morrison (born March 11, 2004) is an American professional football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 11, 2004 Leesburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 193 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| College: | Notre Dame (2022–2024) |
| NFL draft: | 2025: 2nd round, 53rd pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
High school career
editMorrison attended Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. As a senior, he had 53 tackles and two interceptions. He played in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl. Morrison committed to the University of Notre Dame to play college football.[1]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Morrison CB |
Phoenix | Brophy Prep | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | Jul 15, 2021 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80
| ||||||
College career
edit2022 season
editMorrison earned immediate playing time in his true freshman year at Notre Dame in 2022.[2][3] He made his collegiate debut on September 3, 2022, against Ohio State, collecting three total tackles and a pass deflection.[4] Against California on September 17, Morrison made his first career start by tallying three tackles. He had his first two career interceptions in an upset victory over Clemson on November 5.[5] Two weeks later, on November 19, he had three interceptions against Boston College, tying the NCAA single-game record.[6] In the 2022 Gator Bowl, Morrison added his team-high sixth interception of the season against South Carolina.
Morrison finished the season with 33 tackles (22 of them solo), four pass breakups, six interceptions, and a pick-six. He was named Freshman All-American by On3.com, College Football News, Pro Football Focus. He was also named True Freshman All-American by The Athletic, 247Sports, ESPN, and by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
2023 season
editMorrison was named a preseason All-American by NBCSports, FWAA, and ESPN.[7] On June 9, 2023, Morrison was named the fourth best cornerback in college football.[8] He was also placed on the watchlist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy,[9] the Jim Thorpe Award,[10] and the Chuck Bednarik Award.[11] On September 19 against NC State, Morrison caught his first interception of the season. He also added three solo tackles in a 45–24 victory.[12] In a game against No. 10 USC, Morrison intercepted Caleb Williams, setting up Audric Estimé for a one-yard touchdown run. The Fighting Irish would end up upsetting Williams and the Trojans, 48–20.[13] Morrison would then be ruled out of Notre Dame's game against Pittsburgh due to a quad injury.[14] On November 1, Morrison was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.[15]
2024 season
editMorrison was once again named a preseason first team All-American by ESPN and The Sporting News.[16][17] He totaled 20 tackles and four pass breakups in Notre Dame's first six games, including five tackles and two pass breakups in a win against Louisville. Morrison's season was cut short by an injury to his hip sustained in the Irish's 49-7 win over Stanford, which required season-ending surgery.[18] He entered the 2025 NFL draft after Notre Dame's run to the CFP National Championship Game, where they lost to Ohio State.[19]
College statistics
edit| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
| GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | FF | TD | |
| 2022 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 33 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 97 | 16.2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 12 | 11 | 25 | 6 | 31 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 31 | 26 | 61 | 23 | 84 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 9 | 111 | 12.3 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Professional career
editPre-draft
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) |
193 lb (88 kg) |
30+3⁄8 in (0.77 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
17 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[20][21] | ||||||||||||
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
editMorrison was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 53rd overall pick of 2025 NFL draft.[22]
Personal life
editHis father, Darryl Morrison, played in the NFL.[23] He has four siblings that also competed in college sports.
References
edit- ^ Obert, Richard. "Brophy Prep cornerback Benjamin Morrison commits to Notre Dame Fighting Irish". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ McKenna, Greg. "Where'd this guy come from? Notre Dame frosh Benjamin Morrison leaves big first impression". Notre Dame Insider.
- ^ "How Benjamin Morrison embraced his starting cornerback role at Notre Dame". Notre Dame Insider.
- ^ Scanlon Jr., Michael. "Notre Dame football: What surprised us against Ohio State". slapthesign.com.
- ^ Stires, Sean. "Benjamin Morrison Shines In Notre Dame Win Over Clemson". Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI. SI.com.
- ^ TOM COYNE. "Benjamin Morrison grabs 3 interceptions, No. 18 Notre Dame blanks BC". nwitimes.com. Associated Press.
- ^ Farmer, Douglas. "Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 20 Benjamin Morrison, sophomore cornerback, preseason All-American". NBCSports.com.
- ^ Driskell, Bryan. "Benjamin Morrison Named College Football's No. 4 Cornerback For 2023". FN.com. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ "J.D. Bertrand and Benjamin Morrison Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List". fightingirish.com. Notre Dame.
- ^ "Benjamin Morrison Earns Thorpe Award Watch List Selection". fightingirish.com. Notre Dame.
- ^ "Benjamin Morrison Selected For Bednarik Award Watch List". fightingirish.com. Notre Dame.
- ^ Driskell, Jeff. "Game Observations - Defense: Notre Dame D Handles NC State". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ Rallo, Curt. "No. 21 Notre Dame harasses Caleb Williams and hands No. 10 USC first loss in 48-20 drubbing". WSLS. Associated Press. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Berardino, Mike. "Benjamin Morrison (quadriceps) ruled out for Notre Dame football vs. Pittsburgh". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Loy, Tom. "Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison a Thorpe Award Semifinalist". Irish Illustrated. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Morrison Named to ESPN Preseason All-America First Team". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. August 14, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Cross III, Morrison, Watts Named Preseason First Team All-Americans by Sporting News". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. August 14, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Notre Dame loses CB Morrison (hip) for season". ESPN.com. October 14, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison ends chapter, enters NFL draft". ABC7 Chicago. January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Benjamin Morrison Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Benjamin Morrison College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ Skinner, Caleb (April 26, 2025). "WATCH: Highlights from Buccaneers second-round pick Benjamin Morrison". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ James, Tyler. "Four-star cornerback Benjamin Morrison commits to Notre Dame over Washington, Alabama". Notre Dame Insider.