Photo by Austin Silvey
Justyn Ross shocked the world on February 7, 2018 when he decided to commit to Clemson over his home state school Alabama. He was rated as a four-star prospect and was ranked as the top player in the state of Alabama for the 2018 recruiting class.
Ross told The State Newspaper, "If you're a receiver, you go to Clemson." He didn't enroll until late July so he was not a participant in Clemson's spring practice or game.
In one of Clemson's scrimmages during fall camp, he made national headlines with a tremendous one-handed catch.
Ross hasn't had a ton of opportunities yet this season to show off his abilities but he's made the absolute most of all of his touches.
Through four games, Ross has caught just six passes and scored a touchdown on three of those. He has totaled 172 yards receiving and is averaging 28.7 yards per catch.
Against Georgia Tech, Ross only recorded one reception but it went for a 53-yard touchdown. Against Georgia Southern last week, he scored on a 57-yard reception where he got to show off some of his elusiveness as well with a couple of jukes to make two defenders miss on his way to the endzone.
On Saturday, Ross became the first Clemson player to catch touchdown passes of 50 yards or more in back-to-back games since Artavis Scott in 2014 and has now recored a touchdown in three of the first four games for the Tigers.
Ross also became the first Clemson receiver to score a touchdown in three of team's first four games since Artavis Scott in 2015; also the first freshman to do so since Sammy Watkins caught a touchdown in each of the first four games his freshman year in 2011.
In Dabo Swinney's postgame press conference on Saturday night, he stated multiple times that they "need to throw to number eight more." He also mentioned that the touchdown to Ross "was a run call, not a pass call. That's our offense, things happen."
One reporter told Dabo that Ross was averaging 28 yards per catch and had three touchdowns on the year. Dabo responded with a chuckle saying, "Is that what it is? We need to throw it to him a little more don't we?"
"He's just gonna continue to blossom. No question about it. He likes to practice. He's just an explosive football player." - Dabo Swinney
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