Prove It: Justyn Ross

Ross showed glimpses of greatness during his freshman season but hit a plateau in his sophomore season, now entering his junior season it is time for him to prove it.

Dabo Swinney has been able to land commitments from top high school receivers from all over the country. Now it’s time for Ross to step up and excel at the college level. 

Ross showed glimpses of greatness during his freshman season but hit a plateau in his sophomore season.

After finishing 2018 with 1,000 receiving yards and an absolutely dominant performance in the 2019 National Championship game, many looked forward to an exciting 2019 campaign from the then sophomore Justyn Ross.

However, it was a slight step back for Ross as he finished with 135 less receiving yards and one less touchdown despite having twenty more catches this season.

Wide Receiver U added another to its NFL ranks in April, as Tee Higgins elected to forego his senior season to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. Higgins used an explosive junior season in 2019 to help catapult him into a tie for Clemson’s record for career receiving touchdowns and into consideration as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. 

A similar trajectory could be plausible for junior Justyn Ross, who is Clemson’s receiving leader among returning players with 112 career catches for 1,865 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Ross, however, will need to get back to the 2018 playoff version of himself. After putting up a combined 301 receiving yards in the playoffs as a freshman, Ross went over 100 yards receiving only once as a sophomore. Ross also managed to have 20 more receptions in 2019 but finished with 135 less receiving yards than in 2018.