 Ellis attended the University of Southern California, where he played for coach Pete Carroll's USC Trojans football team from 2003 to 2007.As an underclassman, he learned under All-American Mike Patterson Ellis finished his redshirt junior season at USC during the 2006 season.He was first team coaches and Rivals.com All-Pac-10 conference, first-team "College Football News" All-American and won the Morris Trophy.