Tee Higgins under the radar? Jeff Scott isn't buying it
It’s not unfair to say Justyn Ross snuck up on the college football world his freshman season.
Coming out of high school, the rising sophomore from Phenix City, Ala. was physically gifted to contribute right away. But not many people saw how quickly his production would be valued on Saturdays. Week after week, Ross never started a game but would come in providing an instant spark.
By the time the season was over everyone knew Ross’ name. His performance as a true freshman in the College Football Playoff made Ross go from someone who might slip up on people into someone viewed as one of the top returning receivers in the country.
His 12 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the Playoff sent a shockwave through the sport. The Alabama-raised receiver picked the Crimson Tide apart in the national championship game, and at times he made it look effortless with one spectacular catch after another.
So heading into 2019, there won’t be any surprises as Ross will garner his first career starts. The expectations are high. He isn’t going to sneak up on anyone anymore.
Ross’ performance in the Playoff has brought a lot of chatter. During the summer, lists regarding who the best players in college football continue to be released and Ross is near the top of most of them.
According to 247Sports, Ross is considered the second-best wideout in the country. He also was named preseason second-team All-American by Sporting News, and is one of three Tigers on the Maxwell Award watch list presented to the College Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, rising Junior Tee Higgins is not.
The way Ross commanded the attention of college football has left many almost numb to Higgins - the player who will line up opposite of Ross in the fall. The player who led the team in touchdowns (12) and receptions (59).
Because of Ross' emergence, Higgins has flown under the radar a little bit. But co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Jeff Scott doesn’t buy that.
“I think he’s got a chance to be one of the best players in the country,” Scott said. “I really don’t get caught up in a lot of the preseason stuff. We talk to our guys about that all the time.”
Higgins has been in Ross’ shoes before. His freshman year, he backed up Deon Cain and provided that same spark off the bench as Clemson's carousel of receivers made their way into games. By the end of the year, Higgins’ production spoke for itself, and Clemson knew what it was getting for at least two more years.
“I don’t think Tee Higgins is going to sneak up on anybody next year because of what he put on video last year,” Scott added. “Knowing Tee, he’s not that guy that is really worried about that a whole lot. I think he understands that if he stays focused on doing his job, he’s going to have a really big future ahead of him.”
Higgins enters 2019 with 76 receptions for 1,281 yards and 14 touchdowns. The junior wideout could skip his senior season and head right into the NFL Draft as one of the top four or five receivers in the class.
While Ross has gotten most of the attention this offseason, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Higgins won’t be a small blip on any opposing defensive coordinator’s radar the week they are playing Clemson.
According to Scott, if all goes to plan, the awards and recognition will follow when the 2019 season concludes.
“I see that come across the screen every once in a while. We really don’t give that a lot of thought. Not something we talk a whole lot about,” Scott said. “At the end of the day, if everybody does what they are supposed to do, then there will be plenty of credit to go around. We saw that last year with the way the season ended.”