Recruit Snapshot: Jordan Ross
Elite pass rushers may be the most prized group of players for modern defenses. Their salaries in the NFL certainly bear that out, as do the priority major college programs place on finding them. It really doesn’t matter the primary position, the ability to consistently get to the quarterback is the primary asset from any one position on the defense. So a player that can do that from multiple positions? A player that can move around with equal efficacy, in different spots in different fronts? Those players are as rare, and prized, as they come. That is exactly what Tennessee feels they have in five star 2024 Vestavia Hills (Birmingham, AL) edge, Jordan Ross.
Athletic Ability Beyond Belief
Ross stands at 6’5” tall and weighs in around 240 pounds. Now, for a Power Five defensive end, edge linebacker, that is right in line with what is expected. What is not expected is the speed and acceleration that Ross possesses at that size. Simply put, a human being of that size is just not supposed to move that fast. Jordan Ross, in terms of pure, athletic talent, is probably in the top half of a percent of high school football players in the country. His first step out of his stance is devastating. The Birmingham area in the 7A classification of Alabama High School Football is one of the best areas to find Power Five athletes and National Powerhouse programs in the entire country. Going against that level of competition, offensive tackles left without help have essentially no hope of stopping Ross. He often has gained a tackle’s outside shoulder in one to two steps, is dipping his shoulder under the desperate punch or grab to try and stop him, and closing on a quarterback like a laser guided cruise missile in a helmet. This freakish speed, size, and balance combination shows up on tape, but the film doesn’t do justice to just how astounding it is when seen in person.
Pressure From Every Direction
Now, if Ross was purely a defensive end, offenses could try to roll their quarterback away from him, or they could run the ball away from the side Ross lined up on. In fact, they still try to do that, hoping that by trying to chip him on the back side of the play, they can neutralize him by not engaging with him. A solid tactic, but one that is not always effective, as Homewood found out when Ross beat the tackle clean and ran the rolling quarterback down from behind for a sack. Running away from Ross makes sense, if he only lined up in one place, but he doesn’t.
Ross, in one game, lined up at both defensive end spots, both outside linebacker spots, and middle linebacker. He impacted the play and got into the backfield playing each one of them. Sometimes he would show one position, then switch with a teammate pre-snap, or would show responsibility for one player, but pick up a different one at the snap. His presence causes chaos for an offensive line even when he drops into coverage, which he can also do at a level beyond most pure linebacker prospects. The athletic talent coupled with the intelligence and work ethic to be fundamentally and technically sound at all those positions makes Ross one of the most difficult defenders to handle in the entire 2024 recruiting cycle.
Like a Predator On the Hunt
Watching Ross chase quarterbacks is like watching a big cat hunt. He is such a finely tuned, quick twitch, explosive athlete, it looks like he is ambushing a gazelle on the African savannah. Ross positively explodes out of his stance, and then has a toolbox full of ways to beat anyone trying to block him. Obviously, with his speed, Ross has a plethora of finesse moves he can go to, but he also has the size and weight room power to bull rush tackles or even double teams. Ross recorded another sack against Homewood on a play where the tackle and guard double teamed him, then held him, and Ross still drove them both into the backfield, split the block, and pulled the quarterback down with one swipe of his arm. Ross is a different class of talent than even the good players he squares off against, and it shows in their matchups and how opposing coaches scheme him.
So What Is He?
Ross has been recruited to Tennessee as an edge defender, likely filling into a pass rushing outside linebacker role. He also plays sideline to sideline well against the run in the middle linebacker spot, scrapes down the line, gets off blocks, has elite closing speed, and tackles well to finish plays. Ross is a good blitzer from the inside linebacker spot or the outside, timing his pressures up with the snap count well and able to effectively attack every gap in the offensive line. Ross is good in pass defense, dropping into zones to bait quarterbacks and threaten middle routes, as well as able to match up man to man with most tight ends and running backs. Ross can also put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer from the defensive end spot, possibly his most dangerous spot to maximize the impact of his greatest strength. So, what is Ross? He’s a weapon. A chess piece. A player that few teams will be able to neutralize with a single player. A player that will make offensive coordinators lose sleep as they game plan around him. A player that will have his number on every opposing quarterback’s wristband as a player to locate before each play. Jordan Ross is a player that is going to make an impact wherever he lines up on the defense. Ross is the kind of player that can change the level a program competes at, and that will be precisely the expectation placed on him in Knoxville.
