Spring Tour Stop 9: Five-star WR Justyn Ross opens up about FSU

Our Spring Recruiting Tour has hit the state of Alabama, and Warchant got a chance to catch up with one of the top wide receivers in the nation in Phenix City five-star Justyn Ross. In an exclusive interview with Warchant, Ross dives into his journey to stardom, his goals for spring practice and also his high interest in Florida State despite being called a "lock" to in-state schools Alabama or Auburn.

On the morning that Warchant arrived, Ross had a long day ahead of him -- with an early morning workout, film study and weightlifting. Those were just the team activities. On his own, Ross showed up at the crack of dawn to run receiving routes on the practice fields.

Judging by his efforts, you would never know he already is considered the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama and the No. 3 receiver in the nation.

"It's my last spring [in high school], and I can never be satisfied because this is my last one," Ross said. "I've worked a lot on my route-running this year. Just finding different ways to get open and make the DBs look bad."

There was plenty of excitement for Ross and his teammates when spring ball opened last Tuesday, as coaches from FSU, Auburn, Alabama and Clemson were all present for his practice.

While the five-star receiver is now the main attraction, Ross remembers when that wasn't the case. He says his career didn't really start to take off until he got more dedicated in the weight room and became more of a technician with his route-running.

"Probably the end of my junior year -- I just worked a lot more," Ross said. "I never was satisfied with just being good. I'm always been a film guy. I like to see what I'm doing wrong. That fuels me a lot. I have some great assistant coaches, and they have taught me a lot of stuff, and I just run with it."

After putting in extra time on weight training, the 6-foot, 4-inch Ross said he now weighs in at 207 pounds. His bench press is close to 300 pounds, and he believes he can tell the difference in his blocking.

Looking back on where he was a year or two ago, Ross said he can see a major difference.

"Oh, I remember it was the start of my 11th-grade year, and I would go on visits and see other guys a lot bigger than me as a receiver, and I didn't like that," he said. "So after that, there was a big change."

It should come as no surprise that a long line of colleges are pushing hard for Ross' services. The in-state schools -- Alabama and Auburn -- have been involved for quite some time, and he has visited each three or four times. Auburn's campus is actually only about 30 miles away.

Despite that familiarity with the Tigers and Crimson Tide, Ross said his visit to Florida State has left a lasting impression.