Bio Blast: Courtland Ford

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Kentucky has a huge need at offensive tackle in the spring transfer portal window. We did not have to wait long to see a target emerge.

On Sunday, USC offensive tackle Courtland Ford officially entered the transfer portal and some Kentucky buzz soon followed. The Pac-12 transfer has a visit scheduled with Kentucky later this week. Things are happening on the recruiting trail.

Now it’s time to find out more about Kentucky’s latest transfer target of note as the Big Blue Wall looks to upgrade the right tackle position.

High 3-star recruit

Courtland Ford (6-6, 305, RJr.) is a Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex native that spend his prep years at Cedar Hill (Texas) High. The class of 2020 recruit was a top-600 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. Ford committed to LSU in November 2018 during his junior season before deciding to re-open his recruitment in the summer before his senior season.

After finishing his high school campaign, Ford scheduled official visits with Purdue, SMU, USC, and Minnesota. However, the offensive line prospect did not wait long to commit to Clay Helton’s program immediately giving a verbal commitment right after his official visit wrapped up in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2019.

Ford would sign with USC less than two weeks later.

The big boys keep rolling in‼️@FordCourtland makes it another new Trojan from Texas.#NSD20 | #RuntheSCene pic.twitter.com/EIEZnHlXOF
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) December 18, 2019

Early playing time

Courtland Ford arrived at USC the summer after his senior season right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Pac-12 suspended its season until November. The Trojans played six games that year with their only loss occurring against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.

Ford found his way on the field early.

The true freshman played just one game against Washington State earning a start at left guard in a 38-13 win at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That would set the stage for a great opportunity as a redshirt freshman.

In 2021, Ford entered the season as USC’s starting left tackle. The young player would play in nine games that season with eight starts at left tackle. Ford played 535 snaps at left tackle that season receiving a solid PFF pass protection grade (65.1) while allowing a 6.3 percent pressure rate.

Lingering injuries

As a redshirt freshman, Courtland Ford quickly emerged as offensive coordinator Graham Harrell‘s best option at left tackle. However, a leg injury and mono diagnosis forced the young player to miss three games. Those injuriy issues would leak into the 2022 season.

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With head coach Lincoln Riley taking over at USC, Ford found himself in a heated position battle after the Trojans added Virginia tackle transfer Bobby Haskins to the roster. The two entered the season as co-starters splitting snaps in a Week 1 blowout win. However, Ford left the field early in Week 2 with an ankle injury. That forced Ford to miss 4 of the next 5 games.

That injury allowed Haskins to lock up the left tackle job for an offensive line that finished the season as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Unfortunately, the injury luck continued in spring practice.

Ford was limited as USC again went to the portal to address the tackle position. Florida transfer Michael Tarquin received most of the first-team reps while Ford was in and out of the lineup.

“He’s been a little limited with a small offseason procedure that he had, hasn’t been able to get all the competitive reps,” Riley said during USC spring practice.

KSR scouting report

When the news of Courtland Ford’s transfer arrived, we decided the tape at KSR. After watching three games (2021 USC vs. Utah, 2021 USC vs. Notre Dame, 2022 USC vs. Tulane), I threw on my scouting hat and put together a write-up on the tackle.

Courtland Ford is a pass pro first offensive tackle with good athleticism and length for the position. The USC transfer has had some issues versus a true speed rush, but does a good job of swallowing up players who struggle to turn the corner. Length gives the tackle room to recover and provides advantages in pass pro. Ford does slip off defenders consistently in the run game on downhill blocks. At his best performing reach blocks or seals in an outside zone run game. Does not play with the best leverage in the run game. Not the most powerful tackle, but Ford is a plus athlete with good knee bend and solid grip strength. The tackle consistently wins in pass pro when not faced against true edge bender and still has upside as a developing player due to athletic traits. Run game blocking needs development. No right tackle experience is something Kentucky must bake into this evaluation. Capable Power Five starter with draft pick potential with more game reps and development.

As Kentucky shifts to a more pass-heavy offense and what should be a zone-heavy running game, adding Courtland Ford to fill a tackle spot makes a lot of sense. The Pac-12 looks like a plug-and-play starter.