Prospect Bio

Jerrion Ealy was a three-sport athlete at Jackson Prep in Mississippi. He played football, baseball, and set multiple records as part of the track and field team. In football, he was part of four state titles while compiling more than 5,000 rushing yards and 84 touchdowns throughout his career. He was named a Under Armour All-American selection following his senior season. Ealy was a highly sought after prospect. He was a five-star recruit who ranked as the No.3 running back and the 29th overall player in the country according to 247Sports. But it wasn’t just football. Ealy was drafted in round 31 of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He opted not to sign and instead committed to Ole Miss to play both sports. 

Ealy made an immediate impact while splitting carries with Scottie Phillips during his true freshman season. In just his third game, Ealy set a school record for most all-purpose yardage in a single game by a freshman. He topped 100 yards from scrimmage and totaled 172 kick return yards. He finished the season with 722 yards  and six touchdowns on 104 carries. He also caught 20 passes for 172 yards and another score. Ealy was awarded Freshman All-SEC and second-team All-SEC honors for his performance. 

Ealy was atop the depth chart in 2020 when he led the team with 745 yards and nine touchdowns on 147 carries. He added another score and 155 yards on 15 receptions. He was forced to sit out the team’s bowl game due to a shoulder injury. Ealy was again named second-team All-SEC. In 2021, Ealy continued to lead the backfield with 768 yards and five touchdowns on 133 attempts. He made an impact in the passing game with 32 receptions for 218 yards and two scores.

College Stats

Jerrion Ealy College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference

Positives

+Patience

+Versatile 

+Involved as a kick returner throughout his career

+Runs bigger than his size

+Good hands

+11.3% best-season reception share

+72nd-percentile Burst Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

Negatives

-Undersized 

-28th-percentile Speed Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

-17.5% best-season touchdown share

-1.13 best-season yards per team play 

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: Chris Thompson

NFL Draft Projection: Sixth Round

Yards Per-Formance Grade: 37.9

Bottom Line:

Jerrion Ealy is an undersized back who has above average burst but isn’t as fast as you’d want for a smaller guy. Still, he has a good pass-catching skill set with the versatility to take some carries. His experience as a returner will help him get his name called on draft weekend as well as get on the field early in his career. For that reason, he needs to be on the late-round radar in dynasty rookie drafts.

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN