Film Room: Courtland Ford

Kentucky had a significant need at right tackle leaving spring practice. The Wildcats appeared to have filled that need in the spring transfer portal window by landing transfer Courtland Ford.

The former USC tackle spent three full seasons in the Pac-12 starting one game at left guard as a true freshman and then started 11 games at left tackle over the next two seasons. A former high three-star recruit out of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has three years of eligibility remaining and brings 782 career snaps to Lexington after picking UK over South Carolina.

New addition! Let’s go BBN! pic.twitter.com/1ct1KhDcZi

— Josh Kattus (@JKattus) April 23, 2023

Offensive line coach Zach Yenser has four likely starters locked in for the 2023 season, but Kentucky needs to find a go-to guy at right tackle. Ford has never played right tackle in his collegiate career but will get a chance to grab a starting spot in the SEC.

What kind of player will Kentucky be adding to the offensive line? We’re rolling the tape in the KSR Film Room to see what the Big Blue Wall is adding in the third offensive line transfer to join the roster during this recruiting cycle. Ford is a pass pro first offensive tackle with positional athleticism, length, and pro upside.

Pass pro upside

Courtland Ford (6-6, 305) started 11 games at left tackle for USC over the last two seasons. Under play-callers Graham Harrell and Lincoln Riley, the Trojans ranked inside the top 30 in pass play percentage. The two former Mike Leach quarterbacks and assistants at Texas Tech want to throw the football. Therefore, there is a high rate of pass rush reps on tape for Ford.

The former high three-star recruit could provide Kentucky with some improved protection at tackle.

When faced with power or interior moves, the transfer tackles flashes play strength, recovery, and the ability to finish blocks.

Ford uses grip strength to win against Tulane in the Cotton Bowl which provides Caleb Williams time to take a shot at the endzone. Against Notre Dame, Ford does a job of remaining solid to create a good pocket for Kedon Slovis not allowing Irish rushers to run through him into the quarterback. The left tackle gives some ground, but flashes strength with length allowing him to quickly recover on spins or when the corner gets bent.

Courtland Ford is a firm pass protector that can physically hold up against power rushers. The USC transfer plays with a good base and can create clean pockets. This is the strength of his game despite not seeing many true pass sets in a limited role for the tackle in 2022.

Struggles with a true edge rush

Where Courtland Ford can get in trouble is in pass protection versus rushers that have great get-off or terrific first moves. The tackle tends to lose the corner quickly due to some inefficient first-punch placement.

Ford allows edge rushers to get into his body, and that causes him to lose key leverage. When the offensive tackle is beaten in protection it is usually due to an outside rush where a defender gets inside of the long offensive tackle. Improving first-strike hand placement will be key to developing this weak spot in his game. The offense can stay out of obvious passing downs will also help.

Can provide value in a zone scheme

Courtland Ford flashes some play strength as a protector, but that doesn’t show up in the run game. In both offensive schemes at USC, Ford played in an inside zone and gap scheme offense that required movement at the point of attack and the ability to pull on north/south runs. Ford is a more than capable puller thanks to good movement skills, but creating torque as a run blocker was difficult.

Punch placement is an issue for the tackle in the run game and often leads to the defense getting a quick leverage advantage. Ford does have length to recover, but he can be knocked back consistently because of losing the hand-fighting battle early in the rep.

Asking Ford to play downhill and create movement as a power player at right tackle could cause some issues. Kentucky is not adding the transfer because of his run game production. The Cats are adding the transfer for his pass rush tools and ability to be a scheme fit in a zone offense.

The Wildcats appear to finally have the pieces in the place to run the Shanahan/McVay wide zone. Due to Ford’s movement skills, the tackle has the tools to be a much better reach blocker and east/west mover. Length and athleticism will be valuable assets in this scheme. Ford is comfortable moving laterally and has shown the ability to seal and play under control when required to climb to the second level to block smaller defenders.

The Pac-12 transfer looks like a potential zone-scheme tackle. Ford might not ever be a dominant run blocker but owns the potential to provide value in a stretch scheme when not asked to consistently block downhill.

Courtland Ford has NFL upside

Traditionally, the right tackle position is an offensive line’s strongest run blocker that maybe has some weaknesses in pass protection. Courtland Ford appears to have more of a left tackle skill set but can be a plus-level starter for Kentucky at right tackle if that is where Liam Coen and Zach Yenser decide to play the newest addition to the roster.

Ford is a sturdy protector who holds his ground well and stays off the ground. There are some durability concerns with injuries in each of the past two seasons, but the Wildcats can depend on the tackle to help create clean pockets. Dealing with a speed rush is one area of needed improvement, but technical work could help the transfer make a big jump. However, true edge rushers that can turn the corner are hard to find in college football. Ford might not face too many true threats in isolation situations at right tackle where the quarterback will have a better feel for the rush.

There is some concern about the run game production, but a shift to a wide zone attack could give Ford a better chance at recording more wins. Only time will tell if that comes to fruition after Kentucky scraped the wide zone each of the last two years for a more north/south run game.

Courtland Ford can be a plus-level starter in the Power Five at a premium position. The redshirt junior has three years of eligibility remaining and could give the Wildcats an answer at left tackle in 2024 when Marques Cox moves on. The upcoming season is all about keeping new QB1 Devin Leary clean so he can use his strengths as a quick processor with strong three-level accuracy to carve up defenses with Kentucky’s talented pass-catching talents on the perimeter. Ford should help the Wildcats accomplish that mission as a firm protector that will give Leary room to navigate the pocket.

Kentucky has upgraded the Big Blue Wall. How significant is that upgrade? We will find out soon.