94 Days To Purdue Football: Grant Ellington

Purdue has a grand tradition of long snapping. John Finch was outspoken. Kevin Ballinger had his own blog as the Mark Titus of College Football. Jesse Schmitt had his own video series as the summer intern for Purdue sports. They are all gone now, so Purdue needs a new long snapper. The best are players that no one knows, because unless you're an obsessive blogger like me you don't know the long snapper until he screws up. The three previous guys were excellent at their jobs.

We recruited a specific long snapper in Ben Makowski, but we already have a senior on the roster that might get his first career playing time this year.

Grant Ellington - Sr.

Hometown: LaGrange, Ill (Drake University)

Long Snapper

6', 205 pounds

2013 Projection: Possible Starter Long Snapper

Ellington transferred in from Drake, but he was an all-conference player in high school at Nazereth Academy. He was another recruited long snapper:

Snapper Grant Ellington has informed Kohl's that he is committing to Drake University. Grant has done well with Kohl's and hopes to do very well at Drake University. He should compete early in his career at Drake. The non-scholarship D1 FCS school is very happy to be getting Grant.

Scout.com even had him as a high school standout at a longsnapping camp. With Drake playing in the same non-scholarship conference as Butler the Big Ten is a step up, but Scmitt is a junior. The only other longsnapper on the roster is junior John Bednar, so Ellington along with the incoming Makowski, so let the snap-off begin!