Sophomore two-sport star getting the hang of new position in second year on football team
South Carolina’s leading wide receiver is no longer a point guard in transition.
As the basketball season gets underway without him, sophomore Bruce Ellington is coming into his own on the football field. After two straight games with more than 100 receiving yards, Ellington has emerged as one of South Carolina’s top offensive threats in a passing game that has taken off since the loss at Florida.
“He’s changed from a basketball player playing football to a football player altogether,” said junior wide receiver Ace Sanders. “He knows coverages inside and out now. He knows how to play the inside receiver, the outside receiver ... He’s grown mentally in the game.”
Ellington showed his ability to make game-changing plays early in the season. Against Missouri, he returned a kick 50 yards to set up a South Carolina touchdown. He had just one reception against Georgia, but it was good for a 20-yard touchdown that gave the Gamecocks an early 7-0 lead.
But one of his more explosive receptions came last week against the Razorbacks. With about two minutes left in the second quarter and South Carolina leading by four, the Gamecocks faced a 4th-and-5 and the prospect of giving Arkansas a chance to score again before halftime.
Instead, Shaw fired a 42-yard touchdown pass to Ellington, who made a heads-up play to avoid the cornerback who was covering him.
“I saw the corner blitz, and when I caught it, I thought ... the corner was still behind me,” Ellington said. “I saw daylight, so I just took off running. Ace got a couple blocks, and other guys had a couple blocks for me to get into the end zone.”
Through 10 games this year, Ellington has more than doubled his total receiving yards from last season.
“Bruce has stepped into his own,” offensive line coach Shawn Elliott said. “I don’t coach him personally, but he’s a fun guy. He’s exciting [when you get] the ball in his hands. He can do so much ... Each and every week, you look for him to gain confidence and become more of a factor in our offense.”
Wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. said Ellington hasn’t played receiver a lot in his life, so he’s “just learned how to play” this year — reading defenses, timing routes, getting open and understanding who’s covering you and who’s not.
Ellingon’s playmaking ability has taken some pressure off Sanders, who had 79 receiving yards against Tennessee to go with Ellington’s 101 against Tennessee but tallied just one reception against Arkansas.
Junior quarterback Connor Shaw has not been able to put the ball in the junior’s hands, prompting coach Steve Spurrier to comment after the Tennessee game that the Gamecocks could have had more than 500 passing yards if Shaw hit two deep passes he attempted to Sanders.
Sanders said he and Shaw work on their timing daily in practice, adding that he has not been frustrated by his lack of receptions.
“Not as long as we’re putting the ball in the end zone,” Sanders said. “Missed opportunities would leave you somewhat upset, but as long as we’re putting the ball in the end zone, we’re scoring points and we’re winning, I’m fine with it.”
Shaw missed Monday’s practice after he reaggravated a foot injury from the Tennessee game in the fourth quarter last Saturday. But like Ellington, the quarterback has surged in the last two weeks, tallying 272 passing yards against the Razorbacks before being pulled in the final minutes once the game was in hand.
When USC takes on Wofford, the duo will look to spark South Carolina’s offense to another strong performance.
“Of course it just builds my confidence to go out there and be able to catch the ball and make plays,” Ellington said. “I want to be a playmaker on this team.”