Rookie Spotlight: Justyn Ross, Clemson
Height: 6-3
Weight: 210
Hands: 9 5/8”
Arm: 32 1/8”
40 yard dash: 4.63 (pro day)
NFL Comparison: J’Mon Moore, Javon Wims

College Production (Final Season)
20% team receptions
21% team receiving yards
25% team receiving TDs

Breakout Age: 18

Pros
-Tall with leaping ability
-Excellent body control
-Sinks hips in routes
-Wide catch radius
-Sticky hands
-Circus catch capability
-Nose for the end-zone
-Surprising play strength
-Very young breakout

Cons
-Extensive injury history
-Lost speed after injury
-Reduced explosion due to injury
-Needs to change speeds better
-Soft cuts
-Limited route tree
-Tested pretty miserably all-around at pro day
-Lost juice in most aspects of his game as time wore on in college

Scouting Notes:
Ross was a dynamo his first two seasons at Clemson, piling up 1,865 yards and 17 TDs in 2018 and 2019. With height, length and speed to spare, he seemed unstoppable downfield. Then, in 2020, Ross underwent surgery for a congenital spinal fusion and missed the entire season. There were questions about whether he would return to football at all, but Ross defied the odds and was ready for the 2021 season. Unfortunately, he suffered more injury setbacks, ultimately requiring season ending surgery for a stress fracture in his foot. I include all the info at the top of his evaluation because you have to look at Ross before and after this spate of injuries. Prior to 2020, Ross was explosive and quick in space, making defenders miss with his athletic ability. Post 2020, Ross seemed to have lost a step, and that doesn’t mean he can’t get it back, but it’s something we have to consider moving forward. What does work for Ross is his wide catch radius and willingness to go up and get the ball. At 6’3”, he’s going to be able to outleap most corners. And he’s physical too. Ross can manhandle smaller corners with his aggressive on-field demeanor, and he brings that moxy to his blocking as well. As a route runner, Ross has a fairly limited tree due to the offense run at Clemson, but he’s adept at sinking hips and using quick feet to get open. He could use some sharpening getting in and out of cuts, but again that might have to do with the wide open offense they were running. And what Ross may now lack in speed, he almost makes up for in his ability to reach and hold onto balls that a lot of players cannot. He makes circus-catches on the regular and always seems to get a foot down inbounds – His body control and awareness is on point for a big man. Ross was an elite player before his injuries, and he could very well return to that form. He could also end up being a shadow of his former self though.

Fantasy Outlook:
A lot of teams will pass on Ross due to injury concerns and you can hardly blame them. He’s a high-risk player, and he’s being treated as such. That being said, Ross could end up being a steal in this year’s draft if he can regain his pre-2020 form. It’s just hard to bake in such a renaissance for a guy who was thought to have ended his career just a few short years ago due to the extreme nature of his neck surgery. Ross can play at all levels of the field and out of any receiving position, at least on paper, so he’s got the potential to be a valuable player in PPR leagues and otherwise. A true competitor who’s already beaten the odds in respect to continuing in football after what could have been a career ending situation, Ross is a boom or bust dynasty flier with upside to spare but an abysmally low floor.