Reynard Ellis (25) faces his former team and alma mater as UAB hosts Georgia Southern, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. (UAB Athletics)

Reynard Ellis holds no ill will towards his former team.

No vengeance. No blood feud. No score to settle or axe to grind.

Ellis left the Georgia Southern program almost two years ago, following a late-season rift between himself and the former coaching staff, and chose to sit out the entire 2021 season while completing his undergraduate degree and awaiting an opportunity to emerge from the transfer portal.

“I wanted (the time) and it gave me time to focus on graduating,” Ellis said. “That’s another reason why it’s going to be fun. A lot of people don’t get to play their alma mater. I love all those boys over there but I’m going to give them my best this week.”

The former Shades Valley standout eventually returned to his native Birmingham, joining the UAB football team as a walk-on linebacker during the offseason, but gets a chance to see old friends and teammates as the Blazers face off against Georgia Southern, Saturday, Sept. 17, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

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“Super physical young man, we’re glad to have him on our team,” UAB defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Davis Reeves said. “He brings it every day, he brings it every snap and he came in and embraced our way of doing things. The longer he plays in our system, the more plays you’re going to see him make. He is a starter, as far as I’m concerned. When he comes in, it’s not just filling time -- he’s coming in and making plays.”

Ellis made plenty of plays during his time with the Eagles and even beforehand at his first stop on the journey back home to Birmingham.

He initially signed with Furman, earning a SoCon all-freshmen team nod with 92 tackles (5 for loss) and 2 sacks, but transferred to Georgia Southern and redshirted while sitting out the then NCAA-mandated one year. Ellis was a Sun Belt honorable mention as a redshirt sophomore in his first season on the field with the Eagles, leading the team with 86 tackles (10.5 for loss), 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 3 pass breakups, and amassed 59 tackles (6.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups and an interception in nine games before voluntarily opting out of the 2020 season after nine games.

Although tempted with returning home and enrolling at UAB in 2021, due to the loss of both of his grandmothers and wanting to be closer to family, Ellis chose to remain in Statesboro (Ga.), and earn his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Rather than lose vital credit hours through transfer, Ellis sacrificed a year of football.

“I stayed working out and training, keeping up on my footwork and motions, and making sure I was in shape and ready for when it was time to come back,” Ellis said. “I wanted to be back with my family sooner but needed to finish it out and get my degree. I’m glad I did.”

Ellis is currently tied for fifth on the team, notching 7 tackles in 2 games, and quickly adapted to the UAB defensive scheme after arriving on campus in January. He brought extensive experience to an already established unit and earned a substantial role in the rotation through sheer force of will alone -- despite facing competition from returning starters Noah Wilder and Tyler Taylor, along with Alabama transfer Jackson Bratton and junior college transfer Reise Collier.

UAB interim head coach Bryant Vincent, who was not fully aware of the new linebacker while serving as offensive coordinator during spring practice, was highly impressed early in fall camp after taking his first glimpses of Ellis working with the defensive unit.

“He’s dangerous,” Vincent said. “He’s so fast, explosive and powerful. He plays the game the right way and he’ll run right through you.”

Since his playing days at Shades Valley, Ellis has been a student of not only the game of football but of space and leverage through his exploits on the wrestling mat. During his senior year, and only second season wrestling competitively, Ellis advanced to the AHSAA state wrestling tournament Class 6A title match but fell to eventual 2-time champion Jackson Jones (2017-2018) of Clay-Chalkville.

“I’ve been playing for a long time and I learned the playbook so I’m able to play at a fast level,” Ellis said. “Also, I wrestled in high school so I’m used to dealing with bigger bodies. I can dip around and get the takedown -- you just have to get behind the person. I’m used to getting around and screaming through those small spots like that. I try to use my advantages -- speed and power -- to put myself in position to make as many plays as I can.”

Through his 36-game career, ranging from a freshman season at Furman and two seasons on the field with Georgia Southern, and including two games this season, Ellis has accumulated 244 total tackles (22 for loss), 5.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and a blocked kick.

The experience and production of Ellis are impressive alone but understanding his football career through a wrestling lens was an eye-opening exercise for Reeves.

“His speed and athleticism is the biggest surprise to me for a guy that’s big,” he said. “His knowledge is really good, he’s a student of the game and spends time in the film room and extra time in the meeting room. Anytime you get a guy that big that can run like he can run and bend like he can bend, you got a chance of having a special player.”

Reeves has seen no indication from Ellis that his emotions may be compromised heading into Saturday’s matchup but is not naïve in thinking the game doesn’t hold significance to his wise and battle-torn linebacker.

“I know almost the whole team so it’s going to be fun playing against those boys,” Ellis said. “I’ve been keeping up with the first two games, congratulating them on last week (Georgia Southern defeated Nebraska 45-42 on the road), but I’m not wishing them anything good this week. I’m with UAB now and we’re going to turn up.”

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