Alabama-Mississippi All-Stars: Five-star narrows list to three

HATTIESBURG, Miss – Justyn Ross has a plan and it’s one to which he seems hell bent on sticking.

The five-star wide receiver will announce his decision on Signing Day in February. No earlier. The December signing period is meaningless to him. That’s not say he’s not already making preparations, though. Ross’ list has been trimmed and his focus has been narrowed. There are just three schools alive in race to land his commitment.

He lists them quickly when asked.

“It’s Alabama, Auburn and Clemson,” Ross said.

Asked to describe the pitches from each of his top tree, Ross only discusses the in-state programs. And what the Alabama-born receiver says makes the two program’s sales pitches seem similar.

“Auburn is telling me I can come in and be a playmaker from the start,” Ross said. “They don’t have that many good receivers. With Alabama, they don’t really have a big receiver next year. They want me to come in and be that guy for them.”

As for Clemson, Ross says they’re still in the thick of the hunt. And while distance from home is the only drawback when it comes to the Tigers, it’s certainly not insurmountable. The allure of home isn’t something on which ross will base his decision.

“That’s not important to me. It’s good to stay in state, but it’s not a problem for me to go out of state. I’m not worried about that. I’ll go where I fit.”

With a commitment date set in stone, all that’s left for Ross is official visits, the first of which he has already set.

“I have an Auburn visit in January,” he said on Monday. “That’s all I know now.”

A senor at Alabama’s Phenix City Central High School, Ross is ranked as the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 20 overall prospect in the 2018 class.