He’s ‘a faster Ross.’ Clemson freshman receiver draws comparisons to Tigers star
Two years ago, Clemson went to Alabama and nabbed the No. 1 receiver in the state in Justyn Ross.
That worked out pretty well for the Tigers as the Phenix City, Alabama native led Clemson with 1,000 receiving yards as a freshman in 2018 and a team-high 66 receptions last year.
Ross was one of the top receivers each of the past two years for a Clemson program that won the national title in 2018 and finished as the runner-up in 2019.
Clemson once again went to Phenix City and signed the No. 1 receiver in the state for the class of 2020. Through the first spring practices, it appears that move is going to pay off for the Tigers as well.
E.J. Williams, who committed to Clemson over offers from Auburn, Alabama, LSU and others last August, has been showcasing his talents throughout the spring and could make an immediate impact for the Tigers this fall. Williams looked up to Ross as the two attended the same high school — Central High. And Clemson coach Dabo Swinney sees plenty of similarities in the way the two play.
“He’s a faster Ross. He can fly. He reminds me of Justyn and how he’s got a really great ability to cut and change direction and just cut on a dime,” Swinney said. “But he’s got unbelievable top-end speed. I mean, he can fly. And Ross can run. But he’s another level. Just really excited.”
Williams caught 44 passes for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior in 2019, averaging nearly 17 yards per reception.
He was rated as the No. 68 overall player in the country, the No. 13 receiver nationally and the third best player in the state of Alabama by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Tigers receiver Amari Rodgers, who is expected to join Ross in the starting lineup this fall, also sees plenty of similarities between the Alabama natives.
“He kind of reminds me of Ross,” Rodgers said of Williams. “They came from the same school and they grew up together, so they kind of have the same skill set. It’s kind of weird.
“He’s going to be special. He’s definitely got to work on putting weight on, but that comes with every freshman that comes in here. But he’s out here making plays already so I’m excited to see what he turns into.”
Tigers offensive coordinator Tony Elliott did not follow Williams closely during the recruiting process. Former co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jeff Scott and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates were the coaches most involved with the pursuit of Williams.
But Elliott has seen enough of Williams this spring to make a judgment on the kind of player Clemson landed.
“He’s very, very fluid. He’s got that sudden change of direction, very similar to Ross,” Elliott said. “And I think he might just be a little faster than Ross.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 7:45 AM.
