"I woke up today ready to commit," he told AggieYell.com shortly after making his verbal pledge to hometown Texas A&M. "I've been thinking about it since my visit. As soon as I arrived there I already felt like I was at home."

The 6-foot-3, 282-pound Ellison was one of the first defensive linemen offered in the 2019 class by new coach Jimbo Fisher, and he's the first to commit. Ellison said Fisher was clearly excited when he called to announce his commitment.

"He said he can't wait to get me over there," Ellison recounted. In spite of the fact that he goes to high school just a few miles away from Kyle Field, Ellison said he was surprised by several things he saw and learned during his visit to A&M.

"The locker room blew my mind and I saw where I would be living if I went there," he said. "They have tutoring sessions for athletes and they're mandatory, which will help me academically."

Ellison does not intend to settle for an easy course load just because he is a football player. He said he intends to study electrical engineering once he arrives on campus.

An Oregon fan as a child, Ellison said he switched his loyalties to the Aggies when he started watching one of the most exciting players in college history, Johnny Manziel. Now, a little more than a half-decade after becoming an Aggie fan, he'll get a chance to play on the same field Manziel did.

"It's awesome. I can't dream of anything better," he said. "No more visits. I'm already where I need to be."