Impact Analysis: What Does Jordan Ross Bring To Rocky Top?
Tennessee added a new member to its 2024 recruiting class on Monday evening. Four-star Alabama edge rusher Jordan Ross picked Tennessee over Alabama, Florida, and Texas, ending a recruitment littered with different suitors. Different programs were favorites at different times; schools were highly interested before cooling off, then they would turn the heat back on. The only mainstay was Tennessee, who was in it from the beginning.
The Vols offered Ross on September 13, 2022. They were the second college program to extend one at that point, behind South Carolina. Tennessee got him in for an unofficial visit a few days later for a regular season game against Akron. Mutual interest began and carried into the summer when Ross anointed Tennessee as one of his top schools. That top group changed several times throughout the summer, but Tennessee was always there. From the beginning, the coaching staff approached him with consistent and authentic energy, which went a long way with Ross.
He's the No. 37 player in America, according to 247Sports' consensus industry rankings. Ross carries five-star status on 247Sports' company rankings and is a top-85 player on all four major recruiting services. Ross was unranked before his junior season of high school, but he posted 16 tackles for loss and was one of the top defenders in Alabama. Ross continues to grab the spotlight as people learn his name - but what does he bring to the football field? We went to the tape to find out.
4-star EDGE Jordan Ross on an unofficial visit to Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 15, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Ross)
Prospect: Jordan Ross
Projected Position: Weakside DE
Vitals: 6-4.5 and 233 pounds
School: Vestavia Hills High School (Vestavia Hills, Alabama)
Frame: Long and athletic with tons of room to add weight. Ross's arm length enables him to step out to a 7-technique. Few can play out wide so far, so they get paid well in the NFL. Most defensive ends are destined to end up playing as far out as a 5-technique and no more, but Ross projects to play most downs there because of his body type.
Athleticism: A+ mover when he sticks his feet in the ground and decides, "I'm going from point A to point B, and there's no way the offensive player is beating me to that spot." Ross ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at a recruiting event, an excellent time for a defensive lineman. It has long strides that eat up turf quickly. He can dip his hips and stay explosive when bending the corner.
Instincts: Still learning the technicalities of the game. Ross can occasionally be caught off-guard by a backside motion or an action fake, but his athleticism often allows him to overcome that in high school. A lot of that mental progression will come with snaps and spending time with defensive line coach Rodney Garner, so it's not a huge concern on his evaluation.
Polish: Sky-high ceiling, but he's not there yet. Ross is an unfinished evaluation, largely because we don't have that much data or information on him. He stepped onto the national circuit after his junior season, meaning we've only been discussing him for a few months. Before making the full-time transition to football, he was a high-level basketball player, so there will still be growing pains along the way.
Bottom Line: I wrote about it a few months ago, but Ross has always been made for SEC football. He's long, fast, and strong. That fits the billing of every elite defensive lineman that has come through the conference over the past few years. He still has room to grow, but Ross should get up-to-speed in plenty of time over his senior year of high school and his early days with Tennessee.
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