Dabo Swinney broke some tough news to Clemson fans on Monday as the team’s leading returning receiver has been ruled out for the season before it even began.

During a Monday media conference call, Swinney announced junior receiver Justyn Ross will miss the upcoming college football season due to congenital fusion in his spine. Ross is set to have surgery to correct the issue in the coming days.

This issue is such a big concern that according to Swinney, there’s no guarantee Ross will ever play football again.

During his two seasons on the field at Clemson, Ross has caught 112 passes for 1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns. With Tee Higgins off to the NFL, Ross was set to be Clemson’s leading returning receiver this season after catching 66 passes for 865 yards and eight scores.

Ross, who was rated as the No. 1 overall prospect from Alabama during the 2018 recruiting cycle, signed with Clemson over Alabama and Auburn. Against Alabama in the 2018 National Championship Game, Ross caught six passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.

That performance put Ross on the national stage and signified his status as one of the best receivers in the nation heading into the 2019 college football season.