Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Sweeney announced on Monday that star wide receiver prospect Justyn Ross will miss the 2020 NCAA football season after undergoing spinal surgery.
Clemson WR Justyn Ross will have surgery on Friday for a congenital spinal issue and his career could be in jeopardy. https://t.co/1QrykkmpBq
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 1, 2020
This will hurt Clemson’s chances at a championship and will also give quarterback Trevor Lawerence a big challenge entering the season.
Ross’s X-rays revealed that he has a congenital fusion in his neck and spine that he was born with.
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney announced that WR Justyn Ross will have surgery and miss the 2020 CFB season. X-Ray revealed he has a congenital fusion in his neck/spine that he was born with. Was projected to be one of the top receivers in the 2021 class.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 1, 2020
The 20-year-old was set to enter into his junior season and be the top target of Trevor Lawerence with Tee Higgins’s departure to the NFL. As a freshman at Clemson in 2018, Ross had 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Ross has been a top target in Clemson as he had 66 receptions for 865 yards this past season.
Clemson will not be without options in Ross’s absence. They have veteran Amari Rodgers and sophomores Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. to help replace Ross’s big body at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds.
Ross put his name on the map in the 2018 championship game when he had an insane catch which blew up on social media; he took off from there.
Ross was projected to be one of the top receivers in this year’s class and a consensus top-15 pick. He still may not fall that far despite the injury due to his immense talent.
