Aamir Ellis has been a breakout player for Locust Grove in 2024. On offense, the prolific playmaker has caught 27 passes for 480 yards and unbelievably has 12 touchdowns.
With an insane touchdown to reception ratio like that, Ellis practically scores every other catch he makes, and that big play ability came to test last week against McDonough. Ellis slipped by the pass coverage leaping over the defender while rotating over midair to make the catch. In a split second, Ellis was splitting two defenders and was off to the races for the incredible touchdown.
The play happened so fast, that if you blinked, the condensed greatness would pass by, but that level of effort has become an expectation for the Locust Grove community. A few days later, and Ellis was named to our weekly top plays, and shortly after, he was voted the top play of the week.
The senior talked about his excellent season.
“My senior year has been pretty smooth. We faced a lot of adversity early on but my team just kept working and making corrections every week. Right now we are 1 game away from being .500 in the region for the first time since 2016! So that part is exciting, I do my best to lead by example at practice and in games,” Ellis said.
Ellis’ senior film has eye-catching plays spread throughout, and several were close to making the top 10 in prior weeks. He is an explosive two-way starter, who can accelerate to his top speed in a short few strides.
The senior’s athleticism has advantages, but he feels that his football IQ is where he has improved the most.
“I’ve improved understanding leverage and spacing. I feel like these things will help you be productive regardless of where you play at on the field. I also feel like I have improved with my communication on the field as well,” Ellis said.
Ellis has equally impacted the defensive side of the football with two interceptions, one being a pick-six, two forced fumbles, and six pass breakups. The explosive senior is a smooth athlete who can fluidly break on the football, disrupting passes consistently.
That kind of impact on both sides of the football says a lot about the senior’s mindset on the field.
“My mindset on the field is to take it one play at a time. Never get too high or too low and have a short memory. On Fridays, I can’t wait to show my team and coaches how ready I am to play when we suit up and I know they are right there with me, kind of like a war mentality,” he said.
On the recruiting front, Ellis talked about his two offers and what other schools are showing interest.
“I currently hold two division 1 offers from Marshall and Georgia State. A few other schools like Virginia, Georgia Southern, and Tennessee Tech have shown interest as well,” he said.
To finish the year, the Wildcats will have their work cut out with opponents like Union Grove and Jones County on the horizon. They have a bye this weekend and then the first test against Union Grove next Friday. For the senior, he views these challenges as opportunities to showcase his skills and leave it all on the field.
“My goals for this last bit of the season is to finish above .500 and get into a playoff spot.” He continued, “I’m doing everything in my power to just leave it all on the field. I think this is a special group of players and coaches who worked hard over the summer and a lot of guys are starting to see returns from their deposits! When it’s all said and done I just want to look back and know I gave it all I had.”
The Locust Grove senior’s approach to the game is impressive, and while he doesn’t have a lot of recruiting hype, the production and film shows that programs like Marshall and Georgia State have done a great job of evaluating his potential. With a great 3.8 GPA, we feel like more D1 programs need to turn their attention to the terrific two-way player out of Locust Grove, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia to see more on the senior and athletes across the state.
