Justus Ross-Simmons’ Saturday started in chaos and ended with him looking like Syracuse’s most reliable target.
The fifth-year wide receiver spent the final stretch before kickoff in a legal scramble that flipped his status more than once. According to a report from Syracuse.com, Ross-Simmons was dropped from a lawsuit in Texas less than 24 hours before the game against Cal, which made him ineligible for the Orange’s matchup.
Then, after he filed new paperwork around 3:35 p.m. Friday and hired three lawyers, he was granted a restraining order around 6:45 p.m. by Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Jean Marie Westlake.
That left him in the wildest kind of limbo: eligible, then ineligible, then back on the field for his first college game in 322 days.
“(I) knew it was gonna be a problem,” Ross-Simmons said of his eligibility. “But my agent just took care of everything, so I knew I was gonna be good.”
By the time Syracuse and Cal were done, Ross-Simmons had caught six passes for 105 yards and finished as SU’s lead receiver in a late loss. The Orange fell to Cal 1-1, 1-0 ACC, while Syracuse moved to 1-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast.
Ross-Simmons’ return capped a strange four-month run that took him from preparing for the NFL back to Syracuse, where he’s been stuck dealing with eligibility uncertainty. Right now, that uncertainty still lingers - his injunction hearing is set for Sept. 30 - but for the moment, the Orange have him.
“I’m just thankful to be back,” Ross-Simmons said. “Just take it day by day.”
“He caught the ball well,” SU head coach Fran Brown added. “Justus is a good football player. I’m thankful for having him.”
His path to Saturday was already unusual before the last-minute legal turn. Ross-Simmons dressed for Syracuse’s Week 1 win over New Hampshire after a Texas judge ruled him eligible through a temporary restraining order on Aug. 27, blocking the NCAA from enforcing eligibility rules against him and other athletes. Even then, he didn’t play, with Brown saying “it wouldn’t be healthy” to rush him back.
Then Friday brought another twist. Ross-Simmons’ name was among 26 removed from the Texas case because of jurisdictional concerns, and only the restraining order issued a few hours later made him available against Cal.
Once he got on the field, he made an immediate impact. His first catch came on Syracuse’s second drive, when Steve Angeli put a ball toward his back shoulder and Ross-Simmons adjusted to get both feet down inside the hashes.
That was it for him in the first half, as Syracuse leaned on the run and Daunte Bacheyie drew most of the passing looks while Angeli got off to a slow start.
The fourth quarter was where Ross-Simmons took over. He had a 17-yard catch on third-and-6, then followed with a nine-yard grab to help extend Syracuse’s first drive of the period.
After Cal grabbed the lead on Kingston Lopa’s pick-six with 6:18 left, Syracuse found itself trailing for only the second time in the game. Angeli went right back to Ross-Simmons for nine yards on the first play of the drive, then missed him two snaps later.
On third-and-13 from midfield, Angeli rolled toward the right sideline and took a hit as he launched a desperation throw toward midfield. Ross-Simmons tracked it down and dove for the catch at the Cal 24-yard line to keep Syracuse alive.
“I’m a lot healthier now,” Ross-Simmons said of the differences in his game. “Last year, I was dealing with a lot of injuries and stuff, but this year, I’m healthy, I’m able to go out there and do what I can do.”
Syracuse missed a 31-yard field goal four plays later, but the defense got another stop and gave the offense one more chance with two minutes left. Angeli found Ross-Simmons again on a back-shoulder throw for 23 yards on the first play of that drive, but the next snap ended with an interception to Lopa.
Ross-Simmons finished with five catches for 84 yards in the fourth quarter alone, and in his first game back he gave Syracuse a real shot to steal it.
Afterward, sitting in the bowels of the JMA Wireless Dome, he was asked what it all meant. The last four months had been a roller coaster.
The last 48 hours were even more extreme. The future still isn’t settled.
But Ross-Simmons said he wasn’t letting any of it shake him.
“No,” he began. “Just stay focused always.”
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