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Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison declares for NFL Draft

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•about 9 hours•

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Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison. (Mike Miller, Blue & Gold)

The college career of one of the most prolific cornerbacks to wear a Notre Dame uniform has come to an end. Benjamin Morrison will declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced Wednesday on social media.

Morrison will likely be Notre Dame’s only underclassman to enter the draft in 2025. He was considered a consensus first-round prospect before undergoing season-ending hip surgery in October, and pending his medical evaluation, he remains a strong candidate for a first-round selection.

“After much prayer and conversations with my loved ones, I’ve decided to forego my final year of eligibility at Notre Dame and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft,” Morrison wrote in his announcement.

“This is not just the end of one chapter — it’s the beginning of another. I’ll carry the lessons, memories and love from Notre Dame with me every step of the way. Thank you for making these years unforgettable and allowing me to live out my dreams.”

In three seasons with the Irish, Morrison built a reputation as arguably the best cover corner in the country. Quarterbacks targeted him 129 times across 31 games, and they completed 59 passes for 700 yards. That’s good for a completion rate of 45.7 percent and 5.4 yards per attempt, along with a 44.1 passer rating.

He made his name, though, by intercepting the football.

Morrison picked off 6 passes as a true freshman, and he got 3 more a year later as a sophomore. The Phoenix Brophy College Preparatory product finished his career with 9 interceptions and just 4 touchdowns allowed. He burst onto the scene during Notre Dame’s upset win over top-five Clemson in 2022, intercepting the Tigers twice and taking one to the house.

As a junior, he became a critical leader for the Irish as well. He was named a team captain, and the “C” remained on his chest even after he got hurt. Notre Dame’s young cornerbacks frequently cited Morrison’s leadership as a factor in their performance.

Since Morrison’s season-ending hip injury, freshman cornerback Leonard Moore has started at his spot on the boundary. He and sophomore Christian Gray will enter 2025 as Notre Dame’s projected starting cornerbacks.

Moore became a star in his own right, earning widespread recognition including the FWAA’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Award. He credited much of his success to Morrison, who took the youngster under his wing when he enrolled in South Bend in June. Morrison was Moore’s roommate this past fall camp, and he roomed with Gray the fall camp before that.

Morrison said at the time that Moore would be better than he was at Notre Dame. He set that bar as high as can be.

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