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UPDATED: Including full press release from UW (CL)
Following the 2014 season, John Ross III underwent surgery on two torn menisci in his right knee, which was injured during the Huskies' second game of the season, Sept. 13 against Illinois. Ross continued to play, notching seven touchdowns, two coming off of kick returns.
That explosive threat is going to miss the entirety of the 2015 season after he aggravated the injury during Spring Practice. as reported by Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.
The Huskies will be missing a special athlete, as few are able to switch positions mid-season and become starters on the other side of the ball, as Ross did by switching from receiver to cornerback mid-season (though he did play as a nickel corner under Justin Wilcox toward the end of 2013.
Before undergoing any sort of injury, Ross was hand-timed at 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash during UW's 2014 Spring Practices. He was unable to compete in the Husky combine this year due to the knee injury that will be keeping him out of the season.
Luckily for him and for the Huskies, Ross will be able to use his redshirt year and will return in 2016 as a redshirt junior, preserving a season of eligibility.
Ross's size was always a concern, and he has put on 15 pounds since his arrival on campus, but injuries can strike at any time, and this is just a bad break for a talented player.
The UW also announced that CB Jermaine Kelly, who missed most of last season and spring camp with his own injuries, has decided to transfer. Kelly was once considered the heir apparent to former Husky CB Marcus Peters given his size and his ball-hawking skills.
The loss of Kelly and Ross going into the 2015 season will further limit Secondary coach Jimmy Lake's options should his still-young secondary suffer any more attrition. With these two developments, it is almost a certainty that incoming freshman Austin Joyner along with at least two (if not more) of the four incoming receivers will see significant playing time in 2015.
Full UW Press Release
May 7, 2015
UW Football
Ross To Miss 2015 Season Due to Injury; Kelly To Transfer
Washington wide receiver John Ross will sit out the coming 2015 season due to a leg injury suffered during spring practice in April, head coach Chris Petersen announced today.
Ross, from Long Beach, Calif., has yet to utilize a redshirt season and therefore has three remaining seasons of eligibility. In his two seasons at the UW, he's returned three kickoff returns for touchdowns while starting at both wide receiver and cornerback.
Coach Petersen also announced today that cornerback Jermaine Kelly (Los Angeles) has opted to leave the UW football team and will transfer to another program.