SAN JOSE, Calif. — Less than a year ago, Justyn Ross still wasn’t sure where he’d go to school. A few hours from announcing his decision, the Alabama native was strongly considering staying home and joining the defending national champion Crimson Tide.
When the 6-foot-4 wide receiver revealed he would play at Clemson, several of his fellow Phenix City residents felt betrayed and exited the Central High School gym early.
Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley couldn’t believe what he heard, either.
“Surprised? I almost fell out of my chair,” Locksley said Saturday. “I was shocked.”
For the first time since Jameis Winston committed to Florida State, Alabama’s highest-rated high school recruit left the state. Now, the Crimson Tide’s inability to keep Ross home could keep them from another national championship.
In the Cotton Bowl, the freshman broke out with a career-high six catches, 148 receiving yards and two touchdowns during Clemson’s 30-3 win over Notre Dame. The deep threat averaged 21.2 yards per catch this season, ranking fifth in the nation.
“Justyn Ross is just a special talent,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That’s why he’s one of the top receivers in the country. He’s big, strong, he’s confident, and he’s well-prepared. … For a young player to make an impact, it takes a certain level of maturity, and he’s got that.”
Ross had to have that maturity in order to ignore the pressure from locals, who still tell him he made a mistake. He had to in order to pass up the decision usually made when Nick Saban offers a scholarship.
“We thought he was one of the best players in Alabama a year ago and certainly recruited him with as much enthusiasm as possible,” Saban said. “We just came up short. It’s no surprise to me that he’s having an outstanding year, and we’d love to have him here, but we’ve got to try to prepare to play against him.”
Markail Benton didn’t expect to see his high school teammate become the enemy, either, but last month, Alabama’s freshman linebacker was hanging out with Ross in their hometown, playfully arguing over which juggernaut would win a potential — and likely — championship matchup.
“I won’t mind laying a hit on him. I’m pretty sure he won’t mind laying one on me, either,” Benton said. “I wanted him to come here. We talked about it, but he changed his mind. It was his decision.”
Now, Ross could be the reason Alabama is left stunned again.
“There were a lot of people pushing me to go to Alabama, but I had to do what was best for me,” Ross said. “Going against my home state, it’s gonna be a fun game.”