‘Extremely mature’
Cornerback Ben Morrison is ready to lead Notre Dame football
INDIANAPOLIS — Before working out last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, former Notre Dame football cornerback Cam Hart gave his full endorsement to those he had left behind.
“That entire corner room is good,” Hart said. “Coach (Mike) Mickens did a really good job instilling the traits into them and leaning on them and making sure they’re smooth. There’s not going to be a drop-off next year.”
In fact, Hart said, the nation’s top pass efficiency defense might be even better in 2024. That’s how much he believes in Jaden Mickey, Christian Gray, Clarence Lewis and, most of all, Benjamin
Morrison.
For that to happen, Morrison, the rising junior from Phoenix, will have to make good on the soaring predictions made on his behalf by both Hart and another 2023 Irish captain, quarterback Sam Hartman.
With spring practice set to start on Thursday, Morrison leads the way when it comes to the next wave of Irish leaders set to step forward for a team with national title aspirations.
“Ben Morrison will end up being the guy that you’re probably talking about for a long time there —and his history and his career,” Hartman said. “He’s just extremely mature. He handles everything like a pro.”
Even though Hartman only had one season in South Bend after transferring in from Wake Forest, it didn’t take long for him to see why Morrison, with nine career interceptions through two seasons, keeps making plays.
“At practice he was always the guy asking for more reps, the guy wanting to compete, pushing guys and pushing our offense,” Hartman said. “And then he just handles his business. He never came up in a captain’s meeting: ‘Oh, Ben’s been doing this or that.’ It was great.”
When a media questioner made a statement that “most people” are assuming Morrison will be at the combine a year from now, Hart offered a friendly clarification.
“He will be,” Hart said.
Ben Morrison’s ‘gnat-like’ qualities
There’s plenty of evidence, Hart said, behind that assessment.
“B-Moe, man, he’s a little gnat,” Hart said. “That dude was in my back pocket since Day One. He had traits that I didn’t have as a freshman.”
An unquenchable thirst for improvement is what Morrison’s teammates notice the most about the 6-foot, 183-pound son of former NFL safety Darryl Morrison.
“He’s always trying to get better,” Hart said. “I’m not saying I wasn’t trying to get better, but this dude, he’s extremely hungry. Since Day One, he’s finding ways to get better, finding ways to get extra work on the field. He’s texting me at all times of the night, trying to watch film and learn certain things about the defense.”
Since taking over a starting role three games into his college career, Morrison has steadfastly refused to grant himself any slack at all. To hear Hart tell it, Morrison is perpetually determined to hold onto his job.
That “1% better” mantra Marcus Freeman drives into his players’ minds? No one takes it more seriously than Morrison, the youngest of five siblings, all of whom played intercollege sports.
That includes two college gymnasts (Faith at Washington and Naomi at Michigan), an Appalachian State volleyball player (Grace) and a former Arizona football player (Samuel).
“He’s always worried about getting better,” Hart said of Morrison. “I always tell him just to relax a little bit: ‘It’s going to work out.’ He has intangibles, but there’s no ‘relax’ in that dude.”
‘Bright future’ ahead, Ben Morrison predicts
Morrison has played in two bowl games in his college career and made an interception in both of those wins: over Spencer Rattler and South Carolina in the 2022 Gator Bowl and over Oregon State in the 2023 Sun Bowl.
That trendline bodes well for an Irish program looking at a four-game path to Valhalla under the newly expanded 12team College Football Playoff.
Back in late December in El Paso, Morrison was asked postgame what he saw for the Notre Dame defense moving forward.
“A bright future,” Morrison said. “I see a bright future for us.”
This, mind you, was at least a month before defensive coordinator Al Golden had his contract extended through 2027. It also was before All-America safety Xavier Watts officially added his name to the impressive list of returnees on a defense that also brings back linebacker Jack Kiser, second-team All-America tackle Howard Cross III and QB menace Rylie Mills.
“We’re back there covering for them and they’re (up) there making money,” Morrison said. “Coach (Al) Golden continues to call a great scheme, every single week. From the front to the back, we’re going to compete. We have a chip on our shoulder just because defense — that’s where a lot of the stuff happens. It’s awesome.”
With Morrison in the secondary, buzzing around in “gnat” fashion, look for even more stuff to happen, starting Thursday.