I think it'll work full time if he has an actual angle to run with. While the crowd likes him, he's still seen as a joke so you have to build up just a little credibility that he can win on his own. Something like a veteran, like let's just use Jack Swagger as an example, takes him under his wing and teaches them how to wrestle in taped vignettes. All of sudden Swagger's teachings become successful and Ellsworth wins a match on his own and it's someone Swagger lost to the week before. Thus, jealousy heel turn for Swagger and you have a program. Ellsworth wins the blowoff and now can be seen as a legit midcard jobber instead of a straight out jobber.