Swinney talks Ross transfer rumors, updates his health status
By: Gavin Oliver May 11, 2021

As false rumors circulated Monday that Justyn Ross might transfer, head coach Dabo Swinney was hard at work in his office and oblivious to what was out there on social media about his star wide receiver.

Swinney told William Qualkinbush and Kelly Gramlich on WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar on Tuesday that it wasn’t until Monday evening during a conversation with wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham that he heard about the rumors surrounding Ross.

“I don’t have all the social media stuff,” Swinney said during his interview on “Out of Bounds” with Qualk and Kelly. “It’s so funny because I had a lot to do yesterday. We’re in the middle of our coaches’ ACC meetings and I’m on a committee there, and then we’ve got a big presentation with the ADs tomorrow. So, I had a lot of work to do yesterday from a prep standpoint for that, and I had just a lot of prep stuff I needed to get done for the All In Ball.

“So, I just kind of closed the door and locked myself in here yesterday, and I walked out at like 5:15. And I walked down the hall and just kind of was in there talking to Grisham and (C.J.) Spiller and Tony (Elliott) for a minute. I don’t even know how it came up. Next thing I know, Grisham is like, ‘Man, it’s crazy what’s going on with Justyn.’ And I’m like, ‘What’s going on with Justyn?’ So, I just kind of missed it all. He literally told me at like 5:15 last night. He said, ‘Well, apparently somebody started (the transfer rumors).’ I’m like, ‘What?!’”

Ross first set the record straight with The Clemson Insider on Monday morning, telling TCI through a Clemson spokesperson that he had no idea where the rumors came from. He later took to Twitter and addressed the rumors with a post, saying, “Slow day I see, I’m not transferring.”

Like Ross, Swinney said he doesn’t know how the rumors started.

“I have no idea what planet that came from,” he said. “So, yeah, I’m just glad he’s still here. So, I guess that’s all good. But, craziness.”

During his guest appearance on “Out of Bounds,” Swinney also gave an update on Ross’s health status.

Of course, Ross had spinal surgery last June to repair a congenital condition discovered on his spine, as well as a bulging disc. Both were discovered after he suffered an injury in practice last March.

The surgery was a success, and the All-ACC wide receiver has been working hard ever since to get back on the field. Ross returned to practice in a limited capacity last fall and worked in that same capacity this spring.

Ross had a doctor’s appointment in March and will have the final one in June. The redshirt junior said this spring that he was confident when that meeting is complete, his doctor would fully clear him to play when fall camp begins.

“He’s doing great,” Swinney said. “He really is. He had an awesome spring. He looks amazing. You would never in a million years think there’s anything wrong with him if you watched him run and jump and cut and all the stuff that he can do. His body’s in a great spot. So, it’s just a matter of he goes back in June, and that’s kind of the final big moment where hopefully he will get the clearance from Dr. (David O.) Okonkwo that we all want him to get. But he’s still just got to wait till that time comes and go through the process. But he’s doing great.”

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