Washington Huskies: John Ross Focused on Reviving the Receiving Core
By Paul Taylor
After missing the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL, John Ross is back and ready to help take the Washington Huskies passing game to greater heights.
When most Washington Huskies fans last saw John Ross in action, he was returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against Oklahoma State in the 2015 Cactus Bowl. Just a few short months later, an MRI scan would reveal a torn anterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee.
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The subsequent surgery resulted in Ross missing the entire 2015 season for the Huskies. However, as devastating as this was at the time, it actually helped him change for the better.
As the Long Beach, California native told Mason Kelley of gohuskies.com: “It was hard, but it was also humbling. I learned a lot. I feel like it was a blessing in disguise.”
This blessing included taking the opportunity to extensively review tape from his first two seasons with the Huskies: “There was so much to clean up.
“I got frustrated, because I wasn’t paying attention. I really got a chance to sit down, watch myself and critique myself.”
There’s no denying the Huskies passing attack struggled last season, finishing the campaign ranked just ninth in the Pac-12. As a result, wide receivers coach Brent Pease was fired by Chris Petersen.
Understandably, Petersen and his staff will be hoping the return of Ross and his big-play abilities will provide a significant boost to the receiving core. During the 2015 campaign he averaged 75 yards per scoring play, albeit including two kickoff returns.
Regardless, the junior is aiming to help quarterback Jake Browning take the next step in his development and is ready to go. As he told The Seattle Times‘ Adam Jude: “I feel amazing.”
What’s interesting is the duo have yet to play a game together, with last season representing Browning’s freshman year. However, the two worked well together during spring practices, including linking up on a 10-yard score in last Saturday’s finale.
Ross’ return to the receiving core will come at a good time, with the departure of Jaydon Mickens and Joshua Perkins, last season’s top two pass catchers. Along with Browning and Myles Gaskin, he will be expected to take the Huskies offense to greater heights.
In that respect, the 5’11”, 196 lb receiver is clear on his goals for the coming season, as he shared with Kelley: “I want to help the team get to the Rose Bowl, somewhere we haven’t been in a long time, help us pursue national-championship dreams.”
There are understandable concerns about if Ross has fully recovered his explosive speed. Although not the same as game action, it is encouraging that he had the fastest 40-yard dash time during the Huskies combine in March.
Overall, Ross is optimistic for what lies ahead, as he told Jude: “With this young team, we’re still growing. This spring I think we did a good job, and it’s going to continue to get better from here.”
Next: Is Jake Browning ready to take the next step?
What are you looking for from the return of John Ross to the Huskies lineup? Will he provide a significant boost to the passing game, or should we not expect so much from him? Let us know in the comments section below.