Alabama defensive end Jayshawn Ross is heading back to the Midwest. On Tuesday, Ross announced his commitment to Kansas State on his Instagram account.
Ross, a redshirt freshman, will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Ross's commitment is over a year in the making. The Wildcats heavily recruited Ross in the 2024 recruiting class, attempting to land him over programs like Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. However, a late push and offer by Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide led to Ross signing with Alabama.
However, Ross's playing time in his lone season with Alabama was limited. An injury forced Ross to miss time early in the season, and he didn't see the field for the Crimson Tide until their win against Mercer. It served as his only appearance last season.
Ross's time in the transfer portal was brief. As other programs began to court Ross, he remained firm in transferring to K-State. In the end, he lasts just a few days in the transfer portal before finding his new home.
Ross joins a K-State defensive end room that showed promise last season, with younger players Chiddi Obizor and Tobi Osunsanmi flashing in their playing time. Travis Bates, Ryan Davis, and Jordan Allen could also find roles in the pass rush rotation, with Bates and Davis looking to build off their roles as rotational pass rushers last season.
However, the room will lose Brendan Mott to the NFL Draft. Mott was the standout in the room and replacing him won't be easy, so adding additional depth, especially with high-upside players like Ross, makes plenty of sense.
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