Ross Blacklock Bio
Ross Blacklock (born July 9, 1998) is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs before being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 290 pounds, Blacklock has built his career on the interior defensive line.
After a strong college career at Texas Christian University, Blacklock has spent time with several National Football League franchises, including the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants. He is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons, continuing his journey in the league as a rotational defensive lineman.
Early Life and Background
Ross Blacklock was born on July 9, 1998, in Missouri City, Texas, a suburb located in the Houston metropolitan area. Growing up in this football-rich region of southeast Texas gave him early and constant exposure to the sport, and he developed into a promising athlete from a young age.
His father, Jimmy Blacklock, played for and later served as a coach for the Harlem Globetrotters, giving the family a unique athletic pedigree. While his father’s background was in basketball, Ross gravitated toward football and became a standout player at Elkins High School in Missouri City. He attended the school and starred on the gridiron for the Knights, earning recognition as one of the top defensive line prospects in the state of Texas.
Following his senior season at Elkins, Blacklock was selected to participate in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Game, one of the premier high school football showcases in the country. During the broadcast of that game, he verbally committed to play college football at Texas Christian University, setting the stage for his next chapter in Fort Worth.
Path to American Football
Blacklock arrived at TCU in 2016 and used his first season on campus to redshirt, preserving a year of eligibility while adjusting to the college level. The move paid immediate dividends the following season, as he stepped into a starting role as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and became one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the Big 12 Conference.
That year, he helped lead the Horned Frogs to the program’s first-ever appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game and contributed to a win in the 2017 Alamo Bowl over Stanford. His individual performance that season earned him Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors and Freshman All-American recognition from the Football Writers Association of America, marking him as one of the top young defensive talents in college football.
In August 2018, however, Blacklock suffered an injury that forced him to miss his entire sophomore season. After roughly nine months of recovery, he was cleared to return for his 2019 junior campaign, where he put together a strong year and was named first-team All-Big 12. Following that junior season, Blacklock announced his decision to forgo his senior year and declare for the 2020 NFL draft.
Ross Blacklock Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Blacklock’s first extended action at TCU came in 2017, when he transitioned from redshirt to full-time starter. His quick first step and ability to penetrate opposing backfields quickly made him a problem for Big 12 offensive lines, and he finished the year with conference and national freshman honors to his name.
After missing the 2018 season due to injury, Blacklock returned healthy in 2019 and posted a junior season worthy of first-team All-Big 12 recognition. That production convinced him to make the jump to the NFL, and he entered the 2020 draft as one of the more intriguing defensive tackle prospects in the class.
NFL Breakthrough (2020–2021)
Blacklock was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 40th overall pick by the Houston Texans, who held their first selection of that draft. The Texans had originally obtained that pick in the trade that sent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back David Johnson. The pick carried high expectations for a player drafted in the top half of the second round.
His rookie season in Houston was a learning experience. In Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, Blacklock was ejected late in the fourth quarter after throwing a punch, a moment that drew league attention. He finished his first professional year with 14 tackles, including one tackle for a loss, and no sacks. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Texans before the team moved on from him.
Journeyman Years (2022–2023)
On August 30, 2022, Blacklock was traded, along with a seventh-round pick, to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round pick. His time in Minnesota lasted just one season, and he was waived on August 29, 2023. The transaction marked the start of a whirlwind stretch in which Blacklock would be released and signed by multiple teams in a single calendar year.
On September 4, 2023, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad before being released on October 23, 2023. The very next day, October 24, 2023, the Indianapolis Colts signed him to their practice squad, only to release him on October 30. He then joined the Tennessee Titans practice squad on November 15, 2023, and was elevated to the active roster on December 30, 2023, providing him with another opportunity to contribute at the NFL level.
New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons Era (2024–Present)
Blacklock signed with the New York Giants practice squad on December 10, 2024, and then signed a reserve and future contract on January 6, 2025, with the goal of competing for a roster spot the following season. On April 15, he was released by the Giants, opening the door for his next opportunity.
That opportunity came on May 11, 2026, when Blacklock signed with the Atlanta Falcons after a tryout during the team’s rookie minicamp. The move gave him a fresh start and a chance to compete for a role along Atlanta’s defensive front.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most memorable moments of Blacklock’s professional career was his second-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft, a milestone reached by only a small percentage of college players. His ejection in his second career game against Baltimore is another well-documented chapter, and his rapid succession of practice squad moves in 2023 highlighted both the volatility of an NFL career and his resilience in continuing to land opportunities.
Ross Blacklock Career Wins
Ross Blacklock’s career accomplishments are rooted more in individual production and consistent roster value than in championship hardware. As a defensive lineman, his statistical resume through the 2024 season includes 40 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass deflections, according to his official career statistics. His college accolades, including Freshman All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors, remain the cornerstone of his on-field résumé.
College Highlights
Blacklock’s most celebrated wins came during his 2017 freshman campaign at TCU, when he helped the Horned Frogs reach the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in program history and then posted a victory in the 2017 Alamo Bowl against Stanford. Those team successes, paired with his Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors, established him as a foundational player for the program. His 2019 junior season, which ended with a first-team All-Big 12 selection, was the closing chapter of his college career and the springboard to the NFL.
Other Wins and Performances
At the professional level, Blacklock’s standout individual performance to date came during his 2019 junior season at TCU, which earned him first-team All-Big 12 recognition and cemented his draft stock. Since then, his career has been defined more by perseverance and adaptability than by headline-grabbing results, as he has worked to carve out a consistent role along various defensive lines.
Ross Blacklock Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ross Blacklock comes from an athletic family. His father, Jimmy Blacklock, played for the Harlem Globetrotters and later transitioned into a coaching role with the organization, giving the family a deep connection to competitive sports.
Personal Life
Public information about Ross Blacklock’s personal life is limited. He is known to be the son of Jimmy Blacklock, and he grew up in Missouri City, Texas. Further details about a spouse, children, or other family members have not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a transitional year for Ross Blacklock. After signing a reserve and future contract with the New York Giants in January 2025, he spent the early portion of the calendar working to earn a roster spot, only to be released by the team on April 15. The timing left him searching for a new opportunity heading into the league’s summer programs.
With limited public reporting on his day-to-day status throughout the 2025 campaign, Blacklock’s on-field production during that calendar year remains sparsely documented. His career totals of 40 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass deflections reflect his contributions through the 2024 season, with any 2025 statistics not yet reflected in those cumulative numbers.
Looking ahead, Blacklock’s signing with the Atlanta Falcons on May 11, 2026, following a rookie minicamp tryout, signaled a new beginning. The opportunity gave him a chance to compete for a role in Atlanta’s defensive front and reset the trajectory of his career after a turbulent stretch of practice squad moves. His combination of size, power, and prior starting experience in the Big 12 should give him a realistic path to contributing in a rotational capacity for the Falcons.