Clemson's Top WR Justyn Ross Will Be Out For 2020 Season After Doctors Find "Congenital Fusion" In His Neck/Spine
This is awful news for Justyn Ross. I have never heard of a congenital fusion in the neck/spine, but it is obviously a massive concern for him as a human being, not just a football player. Ross was undoubtedly going to go on and play in the NFL after this season, but now his entire football playing career may be in doubt. Awful, awful news.
From a football perspective, this is a big blow for Clemson. Trevor Lawrence loses his top WR. Ross has caught 112 passes for over 1800 yards and 17 TDs during his two years at Clemson. With Tee Higgins going to the pros, Clemson will now have to replace 147 catches, 2400 yards, and 24 TDs from last years team (Diondre Overton is included in that stat). Where will these catches go?
-Amari Rogers is back for his senior year. The 5'10 receiver is incredibly quick out of the slot and is dangerous on punt returns.
-Joe Ngata will have to take a big step up in his sophomore season. The 4-star from the class of 2019 caught 17 balls and 3 TDs last season.
-Frank Ladson Jr., the 7th ranked WR in the 2019 class, will also have to step up. I'd assume it's him, Ngata, and Rogers starting at WR in the fall.
-Cornell Powell is a senior this season. The former 4-star recruit in the class of 2016 has been disappointing at Clemson so far. 2019 was his first season with over 100 yards receiving.
-Dabo's son Will Swinney is a senior as well. He's the JV version of Hunter Renfrow. 5'8, 185 LBs. He caught 12 passes last year. He'll definitely get more playing time this year.
-Clemson's class of 2020 only brought in 1 WR: EJ Williams. He is the 13th ranked WR in this year's class. He'll definitely be playing this fall, so I hope he is ready.