Jayden Ross, a 6’7″ freshman forward for UConn, has quickly become a name to watch in college basketball. With an athletic background and a journey marked by growth and determination, Ross has positioned himself as one of UConn’s most promising young players. From his high school days to his commitment to UConn, here is everything you need to know about UConn’s new rising star.

Jayden Ross’s early life and NIL valuation

Born as Jayden Xavier Ross, to parents Jacqui and Julian Ross. Jayden grew up in a household of athletes. His mother, Jacqui, was a volleyball player, while his father, Julian, played football for Rutgers.

Although a native of Bristow, Virginia, Jayden attended high school at Long Island Lutheran. Fast forward a few years, and he found himself, in a truly enviable position, choosing between offers from Temple, George Mason, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and UConn. For any young player, this would be a challenging choice, but it was his dreams that ultimately brought Jayden to the Huskies. In fact, according to insidenova.com, his father, Julian, recalled the moment, saying, “We told him, ‘UConn was your dream school.’ The head coach wants you. What else could you want?”

However, making it to UConn was not that easy. While Jayden started his basketball journey at Saint James School, for his sophomore and junior seasons he was not a prospect scouts from top universities would even consider looking at, the reason being – his towering height, as unlike other players, Jyaden was just 5’8″ during that time. Although he was also teammates with the current UConn dribbler Solomon Ball, he soon parted ways to transfer to Long Island Lutheran for his High School.

However, a major growth spurt during the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. “In my ninth-grade year…COVID hit. I went from about 5’10” to about 6’4”, 6’5”. And then I’ve grown about two or three inches since then,” Ross shared. “During that time, I was just staying in shape, working on my game every single day, trying to maintain everything I had as a smaller player to use it to my advantage as a bigger player.” Stated Ross in an interview. Combined with good genetics from his parents, this growth spurt along with his workouts with coach John Buck got him ready for UConn.

As a senior at Long Island Lutheran, Ross averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, helping his team to a stellar 21-2 record and even the state championship. Combined with his new height, his performances, including standout games against top prep programs like Oak Hill Academy, began to draw him some very valuable attention from major college programs.

This attention was reflected in the rise of his NIL ranking too. Where, according to On3.com, he currently holds a College Basketball NIL Rank of #944 and has built a social media following of 3.6K. His Instagram account features 2.6K followers, making up 73% of his total audience, while he has 992 followers on X. Although he currently has an undisclosed NIL rating, it appears he has not yet established significant brand collaborations. And this growing attention paid off.

UConn’s Offer to Ross

In April of 2022, UConn offered Ross a scholarship. “UConn saw what was coming,” In fact, his proud father Julian Ross explained in an interview. “They wanted to take Jayden off the board before other schools started paying attention.” While Jayden committed to UConn via FaceTime, he also made it official with an announcement on June 27, a day that coincided with his grandmother’s birthday—a special moment for him and his family.

However, when Ross arrived at UConn, expectations from him were tempered. UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who was reminded of NBA All-Star Klay Thompson while watching him play initially, saw him as a long-term project. “When we recruited him, we talked a lot about the long-term—where we thought he could be in year two, year three,” Hurley said. But Ross quickly impressed him, by working his way into the rotation earlier than anticipated. which prompted Hurley to say this in an interview a few months later “He’s always been a great prospect, huge upside, but he’s worked his way into the rotation,”.

Ross who quickly understood his role in his freshman season would go on to infact state. “Obviously, I’m not going to be coming in and shooting every shot and going iso-ball, so just to be the best teammate that I can play,” Ross explained. His focus is on defense, running the wing, and improving his shooting. “I feel like I’m a good transition player. I’m going to give 110 percent effort on the defensive end. I’m going to hit shots and use my athleticism to my advantage.”

His mind for the game was such that, Ross’s potential was evident during UConn’s three-game foreign tour in August of 2023, where he averaged 6.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, shooting .412 from the field.

Although his freshman season stats may not yet reflect his full impact, he gained valuable experience, appearing in all six NCAA Tournament games during UConn’s national championship run.

However, this is just the beginning. With his commitment to improvement and his versatility on the court, he has the potential to be a key contributor to UConn in the years to come. As Hurley said, “He’s got the look of a guy that is going to help us, potentially, this year—and beyond.” The sky’s the limit for Jayden Ross, and his journey is only just starting.