Football
Ellis, Sumner
Sumner Ellis
- Title:
- KATS / Defensive Recruiting Coordinator
- Alma Mater:
- Presbyterian, 2010
- Office Phone:
- (478) 301-4614
- Email:
- ellis_sf@mercer.edu
Sumner Ellis enters his fourth season with the Bears in 2023 as the defensive ends coach and defensive recruiting coordinator.
In 2022 the Bears’ defense led the FCS in interceptions with 17. The defense gave up a conference low 28 total touchdowns on the season. Opponents converted just 34.3 percent of third-downs against the Bears defense, the second best third-down defense in the conference. Isaac Dowling led the team with 99 tackles, tied for third most in the SoCon.
Defensively, Mercer had five All-Conference players including three on the front seven in defensive linemen, Solomon Zubairu and Chris Hill, and linebacker Isaac Dowling. Cornerback TJ Moore and safety Lance Wise were the other All-Conference players on defense for the Bears in 2022.
In the fall of 2021, the Bears improved their ranking nationally from No. 117 to No. 20. The defense reduced the number of points allowed per game from 35.4 to 22.7 and had an increased production in take-aways, from 112th nationally to 15th.
Mercer’s defense featured five All-Conference players: Isaac Dowling, Solomon Zubairu, DJ McDaniel, Lance Wise and Chris Hill.
In 2020-21, Ellis, in addition to coordinating recruitment of new student-athletes for the Bears' defense, also coached the defensive line, specifically the defensive ends. Multiple student-athletes received all-conference honors, including Solomon Zubairu who made 10.5 tackles for loss, the second-most in a single-season in program history. Dowling was also named a HERO Sports All-American, while teammate DJ McDaniel made 25 tackles and earned All-SoCon honors.
Prior to joining the Bears, Ellis spent two years as the linebackers coach at Presbyterian College. In 2019 under the guidance of Ellis, Colby Campbell led the Big South with 12.5 tackles per game. He was a First Team All-Big South selection. During the 2019 season, Campbell set a program single-season DI record along with a Big South Record for tackles with 150. He also recorded a team-high 16.5 tackles for a loss and a program DI record with 9.0 sacks on the season.
In his first year with the linebackers at PC, Ellis had a pair of his players ranked 1st and 2nd in the league with Campbell averaging 9.0 tackles per game and Jarrett Nagy had 8.9 tackles per game. Campbell’s efforts earned him second team all-conference.
Ellis began his career at PC as a safety before transferring to Louisiana Tech when Coach Spangler took the defensive coordinator position there. After graduating in 2010, he coached at Central High School in Carrollton, Ga., from 2011 to 2015. He went on to Camden County High School before taking a graduate assistant position at Georgia Southern for the 2016 season.
He and his wife, Jordan Hyatt Ellis, reside in Macon.
Collegiate Coaching Experience
In 2022 the Bears’ defense led the FCS in interceptions with 17. The defense gave up a conference low 28 total touchdowns on the season. Opponents converted just 34.3 percent of third-downs against the Bears defense, the second best third-down defense in the conference. Isaac Dowling led the team with 99 tackles, tied for third most in the SoCon.
Defensively, Mercer had five All-Conference players including three on the front seven in defensive linemen, Solomon Zubairu and Chris Hill, and linebacker Isaac Dowling. Cornerback TJ Moore and safety Lance Wise were the other All-Conference players on defense for the Bears in 2022.
In the fall of 2021, the Bears improved their ranking nationally from No. 117 to No. 20. The defense reduced the number of points allowed per game from 35.4 to 22.7 and had an increased production in take-aways, from 112th nationally to 15th.
Mercer’s defense featured five All-Conference players: Isaac Dowling, Solomon Zubairu, DJ McDaniel, Lance Wise and Chris Hill.
In 2020-21, Ellis, in addition to coordinating recruitment of new student-athletes for the Bears' defense, also coached the defensive line, specifically the defensive ends. Multiple student-athletes received all-conference honors, including Solomon Zubairu who made 10.5 tackles for loss, the second-most in a single-season in program history. Dowling was also named a HERO Sports All-American, while teammate DJ McDaniel made 25 tackles and earned All-SoCon honors.
Prior to joining the Bears, Ellis spent two years as the linebackers coach at Presbyterian College. In 2019 under the guidance of Ellis, Colby Campbell led the Big South with 12.5 tackles per game. He was a First Team All-Big South selection. During the 2019 season, Campbell set a program single-season DI record along with a Big South Record for tackles with 150. He also recorded a team-high 16.5 tackles for a loss and a program DI record with 9.0 sacks on the season.
In his first year with the linebackers at PC, Ellis had a pair of his players ranked 1st and 2nd in the league with Campbell averaging 9.0 tackles per game and Jarrett Nagy had 8.9 tackles per game. Campbell’s efforts earned him second team all-conference.
Ellis began his career at PC as a safety before transferring to Louisiana Tech when Coach Spangler took the defensive coordinator position there. After graduating in 2010, he coached at Central High School in Carrollton, Ga., from 2011 to 2015. He went on to Camden County High School before taking a graduate assistant position at Georgia Southern for the 2016 season.
He and his wife, Jordan Hyatt Ellis, reside in Macon.
Collegiate Coaching Experience
- 2020 – Pres. – Mercer University
- Defensive End Coach / Defensive Recruiting Coordinator
- 2018-19 – Presbyterian College
- Linebackers Coach
- 2016-17 – Georgia Southern
- Graduate Assistant
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