Ahead of his rookie season, Ezekiel Elliott is mired in controversy.

The Cowboys drafted the running back with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and he's expected to be an impact player in the league. Prior to training camp, however, he's dealing with a huge off-field issue.

A female who is said to be Elliott's ex-girlfriend filed a domestic violence charge against the 2015 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, claiming he assaulted her while she was sitting in the passenger's seat of her car, according to TMZ Sports.

The accuser also claimed that Elliott used to be her live-in boyfriend, but he denied ever living with her. The report was filed with the Columbus Police Department in Ohio last Friday, but Elliott wasn't arrested.

Elliott, 21, denied striking his girlfriend and four witnesses -- including one who was also in the car -- told cops that they didn't see an assault, according to the report. The woman told police she had pain in her wrist and a red mark -- though she refused medical attention.

A person associated with Elliott denied the claims of the 20-year-old accuser, who is listed at 5-foot-5, 120 pounds, while Elliott is 6-feet tall, 225 pounds.

"I can assure you [the allegations] are not true," the person told TMZ Sports.

The running back was also the center of controversy among his new Cowboys fans. Elliott, a St. Louis native, shared his excitement on Twitter when his Blues knocked out the Stars in seven games in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, drawing the ire of many Dallas-area fans.

After an interesting offseason, Elliott and the Cowboys open up the season when they host the rival Giants on Sept. 11 in Dallas.

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