Central wide receiver Justyn Ross’ recognition grows in busy week

It’s safe to say it’s been a busy week for Central wide receiver Justyn Ross.

Ross’ week got off to a big start Sunday with a strong showing among his football peers. The days that followed have featured multiple prestigious football programs expressing interest in a player 247Sports considers the top prospect in the state of Alabama.

On Sunday, the rising senior Ross headed to Atlanta to participate in a regional for Nike Football’s The Opening, which is the apparel brand’s competition to recognize elite high school football players. Ross’ showing was a strong one, as he was selected as one of the first six players to be invited to The Opening’s finals in Oregon.

Congrats to WR Justyn Ross (@_Jross5) of Phenix City Central (AL) on his invite to #TheOpening Finals. pic.twitter.com/v3y59kYydJ

— The Opening (@TheOpening) March 26, 2017

“It means a lot to me to be invited because I’ll have a great chance to showcase myself against the best of the best across the country,” Ross told The Opelika-Auburn News.

Ross will be among the top 166 players in the nation when he participates in the finals. The finals will take place in late June and early July at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., according to the event’s website.

“He’s kind of crossing everything off the list as a football player,” Central head coach Jamey DuBose told The Opelika-Auburn News. “And at the same time, he’s showing up for work everyday, trying to be a leader in the group and on his team. He’s just a very coachable kid and probably one of the best athletes I’ve ever been around, period, in my 23, 24 years of coaching.

As much as The Opening performance helped Ross’ recognition grow, it didn’t end there.

Two days after The Opening, the defending national champions came calling. Clemson officially offered the 6-foot-4, 197-pound Ross. The Tigers’ offer pushes Ross’ total offers to 21, according to 247Sports.

“Blessed to receive an offer from Clemson (U)niversity,” Ross said in a tweet that included a photo of former Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams.

One day later, Ross took to Twitter for a little fun in revealing his latest recruiting update.

“Check my location,” Ross tweeted around noon Wednesday.

The tweet showed his location as Tallahassee, Fla., meaning Ross was on an unofficial visit to Florida State. The Seminoles initially offered Ross last May.

Along with the teams previously mentioned, Ross has offers from 11 SEC schools including Alabama and Auburn as well as other prominent programs such as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and USC.

While most following Ross’ recruitment are waiting for him to announce his top schools, Ross made it clear they will have to keep waiting. Ross is holding off narrowing down his choices until his mother, Charay Franklin, returns from Kuwait. Franklin is a truck driver for the National Guard and is expected to be back stateside sometime in June.

This story was originally published March 30, 2017 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Central wide receiver Justyn Ross’ recognition grows in busy week."