There is a ton of buzz surrounding the return of Justyn Ross after a year-long absence.
With that kind of buzz comes expectations and there are those who expect Ross to return to the field in 2021 looking as if he never missed a down.
It’s easy to forget that Ross has yet to be cleared for contact. While that is expected to happen at his next doctor’s appointment in June, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott says the Tigers have a number of other options at wideout, meaning there will be no pressure on Ross to be “the guy” when he does return to the field.
“That would be the perception, but don’t forget about Joseph Ngata. He’s that big body that we’re used to seeing into the boundary,” Elliott said this week on Packer and Durham via ACC Network. “Then you have (Frank) Ladson coming back. Then the emergence of EJ (Williams), what you saw him do in the postseason; the perception may be Ross has to carry the load, but we’re not putting that pressure on him.”
Elliott said the first priority has to be getting Ross back into playing shape. The Tigers’ offensive coordinator also said that outside of the other talented receivers on the roster, guys like Braden Galloway and Davis Allen can also help carry the load.
“We’re going to let him get back into playing shape,” Elliott said. “He’s got a lot of a supporting cast. We’ve got some really, really good tight ends. You saw a lot more production out of the tight end unit last season. We have a talented group that will take away some of the pressure off of the receivers.”
