Five-Star EDGE Jordan Ross Favoring Three SEC East Programs

2024 five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross has named his current top three programs, a grouping that included the Tennessee Volunteers along with several SEC East foes.

The Tennessee Volunteers have recruited 2024 five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross for months. They offered him in September and have remained consistent in their pursuit since. Ross has rewarded their efforts, frequently giving them love in public and naming them among his top schools at several junctures.

Ross is down to eight schools: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and USC. He fits an SEC profile, which is why most of his top schools reside within that conference. In a recent interview with On3's Chad Simmons, Ross named his top three schools at the moment. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee are standing out from the pack, though he does have an upcoming official visit scheduled with the Texas Longhorns this weekend.

Elite EDGE Jordan Ross, the nation's No. 33 prospect, says 3️⃣ schools are at the top right now👀

More from @ChadSimmons_ (On3+): https://t.co/cAGni8Euyk pic.twitter.com/tKbI3CzBcU

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 12, 2023

Georgia got Ross on an official visit over the weekend, and the coaching staff felt they knocked it out of the park. He saw Florida the weekend before, and there were similar feelings in Gainesville. Ross will likely have a great trip to Texas this weekend and Tennessee the weekend after that. He's enjoying the recruiting process, and while it's fun for him, those three programs will spend long hours figuring out how to sway him. I evaluated him in May and thought quite highly of how his pass-rush ability fits the SEC.

"Ross stands 6-4.5 and 215 pounds with elite athleticism. He was timed running a 4.60-second forty-yard dash and a 35" vertical jump, reflecting his basketball athleticism. The Alabama native plays for Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham and has seen Power-5 talent for years. Tennessee has been recruiting him for a long time and seems to be in the driver's seat - he has official visits scheduled with the Vols, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Ross has been to Georgia and Tennessee three times, more than any other program. He doesn't come without flaws, but the intangibles and ceiling are immense. We've already mentioned his athleticism and size, but there are more intangible components that make him a blue-chip rusher. Ross's length and hand-to-eye coordination are overwhelming for opposing offensive tackles. He lines up in a two-point stance as a stand-up edge rusher, allowing him to bend across the edge and quickly react to what's in front of him. He can get pushed off the ball in the run game, something that must be corrected if he's going to become a three-down edge rusher. However, his pass-rush skillset is that of a two-year SEC veteran; Ross understands how to use his hands and has many pass-rush moves. He has a patented rip move that stuns tackles. Ross wins the pad leverage battle and then uses his outside hand to turn the tackle outside. From there, he dips his shoulders and can bend the edge through the tackle's outside shoulder to get free and attack the quarterback."

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