Taylor on Ross’ fast 100: ‘Ain’t nobody gonna catch him’

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia running back J’Mari Taylor didn’t want to miss a second of teammate Cam Ross’ 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Cavaliers’ 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina last Saturday night.

Ross, about a step into his own end zone, fielded the ball, headed upfield, saw a wall to his left and darted toward paydirt to build UVA’s lead to 42-7.

After the game, it seemed Taylor was more jacked about the return than the mild-mannored Ross.

“I was sitting on the bench and I looked up and just saw Cam take off, and I was like, ‘Well, ain’t no catching him, so I might as well run down the sideline with him,’” Taylor laughed. “Cam has the sauce, all the sauce.”

It was that kind of night, a spectacular debut in a Virginia uniform for Ross, a former JMU and UConn player, now wearing the Orange & Blue.

In addition to the school-record-tying return, Ross hauled in seven of the nine passes he was targeted on for 124 yards (84 yards after catch) for another touchdown, a 29-yard reception from Chandler Morris that gave Virginia a 21-0 lead late in the second quarter.

He nearly had another on a 48-yard catch on the next-to-last play of the first quarter when he was somehow hauled down from behind at the 1-yard line. Taylor finished off the possession with a short run into the end zone for the Cavaliers’ first score.

“As soon as I got to the sideline, I told Cam that I really appreciate it, man, because, really, that was your touchdown,” Taylor said.

No worries as far as Ross was concerned. If this kid has an ego, he disguises it well. He’s kind of a quiet, reserved person according to coaches, and not worried about coming up a yard shy. He knew he would have more chances. A lot more.

Virginia’s coaching staff raved about Ross throughout training camp, some calling him the best player on that side of the ball, talking about his burst of speed, how he’s a deep threat, a threat to take it to the house at any given moment.

After the game, Ross spent more time praising his 10 teammates on the kickoff return team for opening holes and blocking to give him a lane than about his role.

“I had the easy part,” Ross said. “All I had to do was catch the ball, run straight and make one cut.”

As Taylor said, once Ross broke into open field, there wasn’t any catching him. He was gone.

For Ross, Saturday night was a big deal for him. Having played at UConn at a non-Power 4 program, then at JMU last season in a mid-major FBS program, the versatile Ross had always wondered what he could do in a bigger-time program. Saturday night, the world found out.

“That’s why I came here,” Ross said. “I’ve always wanted to do this on the highest level. I felt like every chance I’ve had, that I’ve moved up a step, so yeah, P4 is definitely where I feel like I should have been. But I’m here now and I’m just trying to capitalize on it.”

UConn was his biggest offer coming out of high school in Newark, Del. The Huskies were coached by Randy Edsel, who had coached Ross’ older brothers at Maryland in 2011 and 2015. Ross said his recruitment by Edsel at UConn was a full-circle moment for him and his family.

“Even though I say I was under-recruited, my experience at UConn, especially when I first got there, I have no bad words to say about it,” Ross said. “The coaching staff trusted me from the moment I got there. They trusted me to play early.”

JMU’s coaches raved about Ross as well, so he has been impressive everywhere and Wahoo fans have only gotten a sample of what kind of playmaker, difference-maker No. 6 can be in his seventh year of college football.

He’s been in Charlottesville since January, one of 54 new faces in a program that had to blend players from all over the country into a well-oiled machine. As far as Ross is concerned, that hasn’t been an issue.

“Just seeing all the behind-the-scenes stuff from January until now, we’ve gotten so close, like y’all don’t even know,” Ross said. “Just one of the closest teams I’ve been a part of. There’s been no issues, no bad blood, no type of nonsense, and that’s rare. You can’t say that doesn’t translate to the field. When you know your guys are that close, all you want to do is just battle for your brother out there.”

Over the five years he played (missed 2020), including four years at UConn and one at JMU, Ross has posted 1,799 yards and 8 touchdowns on 151 receptions in 41 games, 27 starts. At Harrisonburg, Ross brought back a 94-yard kickoff return and had a big day for the Dukes against North Carolina (seven catches, 107 yards).

Elliott said he fully understood why JMU’s coaches loved the 5-foot-10, 186-pound receiver, not only by scouting him on film, but when he saw him play in person.

“A couple of days into practice, you saw that, that he’s a football player with really good football instincts, a really great skill set as a receiver,” Elliott said. “Based off of what we saw on film from JMU last year, and then the validation of the short-area quickness, that we knew he would be able to make some plays.”

The coach said Ross came in and worked hard and set a standard for other transfers that would follow, just like another UVA transfer receiver from two seasons ago, Malik Washington (Northwestern).

“He reminds me a lot of Malik,” Elliott said. “They’re different and he’s got a long way to go, because Malik did some exceptional things here, but he’s kind of cut from the same cloth. He doesn’t say much, he just shows up every single day and goes to work.”