By: Brandon Carr
Yesterday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced that star wide receiver Justyn Ross would miss the entire 2020 season due to congenital fusion in his neck and his spine. Ross is scheduled to have surgery this upcoming Friday. Ross was born with this issue and it caught up to him after suffering the injury during a scrimmage at practice. Many thought that Ross had suffered a stinger but then it was later found out that it was much worse. Doctors are very concerned that this injury may even be career-threatening for Ross which is awful news to hear considering that he was a projected 2021 first-round pick in the NFL Draft and was ready to be the alpha wide receiver this season for Clemson with Tee Higgins being gone. Now the Tigers are in a situation where they hope that someone can step up for them to fill the void.
There are the veterans on the team that have an opportunity to step in and contribute such as Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell, but both of those guys’ ceilings are not as high as some of the other receivers that are currently on the team. There are three guys that I want to highlight specifically in this article. All three of these players are very similar to what Justyn Ross brings to the table from a skillset and physical standpoint. Let’s take a look.
Joe Ngata
Joe Ngata is the first player that I wanted to highlight in this article because I feel like he has the biggest opportunity out of any of these guys to be THE guy in this offense. Ngata is entering his sophomore season with Clemson and despite him being buried on the depth chart last season behind guys like Ross, Tee Higgins, and others, Ngata finished with 17 receptions for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dabo Swinney talked about how impressed he was with Ngata last season and his progression. “He made big plays all year and physically he’s pretty special. Now mentally, he’s really caught up and technically, fundamentally, he’s made a huge step. So pleased with him.”
Ngata was a 4-star recruit according to 24/7 sports coming out of high school where in his 3 years at Folsom High School, he caught a total of 188 passes for 3,679 yards and 55 touchdowns. He is a big-play threat any time he touches the ball and with his size, he is another receiver who fits that mold of Justyn Ross or Tee Higgins that have been so beneficiary for Clemson over the years. In my opinion, he has the best chance out of anyone to step into that spot to make an impact. I had him as a breakout candidate this season even before the injury to Ross like many others. Now with Ross slated to miss the entire season, Ngata is going to have every opportunity to live up to that hype and become Trevor Lawrence’s number one option.
Frank Ladson Jr.
Frank Ladson Jr. is heading into his sophomore season with Clemson and last year, he caught 9 passes for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns. He, like Ngata, was buried on the depth charts behind the proven studs on the team. However, Ladson did have a rocky start to his career with Clemson as he missed fall camp with an injury that set back his progression. Dabo Swinney talked about Ladson bouncing back from that injury and how Ladson looks much better now. Ladson, “took… a little while to kind of get better. He had some moments and learned. Had some great days in practice and things like that. He looks like a different guy. I love what I’ve seen out of him.”
Ladson like Ngata was a four-star recruit coming out of high school according to 24/7 sports and the last two seasons of his high school career, he dominated the Florida high school football scene where he caught 79 passes for 1,808 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns for South Dade Senior High School. Ladson is another big-play threat and with his 6 foot 3, 195-pound frame he is another big target receiver that can make huge strides this season for the Tigers. With him having an opportunity to be fully healthy for the season, he can prove his worth in his second year.
E.J. Williams
E.J. Williams is the youngest guy out of the three of these receivers. Williams is only heading into his freshman season with the Tigers. What is nice about Williams is that Dabo Swinney has already made comparisons between Williams and Justyn Ross. Swinney said that Williams is “a faster Ross. He can fly. He reminds me of Justyn and how he’s got a really great ability to cut and change direction and just cut on a dime,” Swinney said. “But he’s got unbelievable top-end speed. I mean, he can fly. And Ross can run. But he’s another level. Just really excited.”
Williams was a four-star recruit coming out of Alabama according to 24/7 sports and for the final two years of his high school career, Williams caught 84 passes for 1,407 yards and 19 touchdowns. Williams attended Central High School which coincidentally was the same high school that Justyn Ross attended. The comparisons between the two are very similar and whether this means that Williams is the guy to come in and replace Ross’ production we will have to see. He will need to prove in his freshman season that he can do that which is a tall order for a freshman. However, with Swinney’s comparisons to him and Ross, that may become a reality.
All of these guys will have their opportunity to fill the huge void. It will be up to Dabo Swinney, offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham to get the most out of these young guys so Trevor Lawrence can continue his progression to superstardom in the college football landscape.
For Justyn Ross, I am hoping for a speedy recovery and hopefully, this does not mean that this is the end of his football career considering how awesome of a football player he is.
Brandon's Breakdowns 