Clemson wide receiver announces NFL draft decision
Clemson junior wide receiver Justyn Ross is heading to the NFL Draft. The Tigers’ leading receiver this season until injury cut it short, Ross announced that he is declaring for the draft on Thursday.
Ross had 46 catches for 514 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a major foot injury.
“The last four years at Clemson have been nothing short of amazing,” Ross wrote in a post on Instagram. “… I will be forgoing my final year of eligibility and pursuing my lifelong dream of being in the NFL. This was one of the hardest decisions but I know it’s best for my career and for my family.”
Ross arrived at Clemson as a four-star recruit and the top-ranked prospect in Alabama, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
He entered the year as the No. 5 wide receiver prospect in the ACC, according to Pro Football Focus. During the season, CBS Sports projected him to go No. 32 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL Draft Combine is coming up March 1-7 in Indianapolis, and it sounds like Ross expects to be ready to go for it after undergoing foot surgery. The draft is scheduled for April 28-30.
“He doesn’t need another season. He’s going pro and going to be a great one,” Dabo Swinney said in November. “He’s more than ready. He’d have been ready last year if he’d have not gotten hurt. He’ll get himself healthy. It’s amazing what he’s been able to do, his toughness is second to none. And what he’s put on tape. For people to see him playing football and kind of put some of their fears to rest.
“He’s battled all year, man. That’s the one thing I can say — his last play of his career is the epitome of Justyn Ross. I mean just tough and fighting for every ounce. That’s really what I’m going to always have etched in my mind. He fought to get back and was fighting to get everything he could get on that play.”
Justyn Ross leaves great legacy at Clemson
Justyn Ross put his name in the Clemson record books as quickly as he could. In 2018, the wideout led the team in receiving yards with 1,000 on 46 catches.
After posting just one 100-plus yard game as a freshman in the regular season, Ross went off in the CFP versus Notre Dame, then again versus Alabama. He had 699 yards coming in then finished with a 148-yard game and a 153-yard game, each with six catches. He also had three touchdowns in the postseason on the way to the national title.