Maryland football cornerback Tino Ellis out for season with upper body injury

Maryland starting cornerback Tino Ellis suffered an upper body injury against Purdue on Saturday and is out for the remainder of the season, head coach Mike Locksley announced Tuesday.

Locksley did not go into further detail on the specificity of the injury.

Ellis, alongside Antoine Brooks Jr., was one of the Terps’ most experienced defensive backs, appearing in 39 games over the past four years. He is the second defensive back to suffer a long-term injury, joining safety Antwaine Richardson, who tore his ACL during spring practice and hasn’t played a snap since.

Ellis left with the injury in the first half and was replaced by redshirt freshman Vincent Flythe. Flythe finished the game with one tackle and one pass breakup.

In five-plus games this season, Ellis has racked up 13 tackles and two pass breakups.

The DeMatha product has totaled 71 tackles, 22 passes defended and one interception in his four years with the program. Last season, Ellis led the team with 11 pass breakups and averaged 1.3 breakups per game, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten.

The Terps have struggled with communication in the secondary this year, allowing an average of about 226 passing yards per game. Against Purdue, Maryland gave up 420 passing yards. But now that Ellis is out for the season, younger defensive backs will be asked to step up as the Terps face stiffer competition.