The University of Louisville added its second commitment from a Florida wide receiver in two days on Saturday, from highly regarded three-star prospect Isaiah Ford of Jacksonville, continuing a busy, extremely productive month for the Cardinals’ Class of 2014 recruiting.
Ford, a 6-foot-2, 171-pound player for Trinity Christian Academy, is U of L’s 13th commitment in 2014 and its eighth from Florida. His pledge boosted the Cardinals’ class one spot to No. 9 in the 247Sports.com national team rankings.
That site ranks Ford as the nation’s No. 40 wide receiver and No. 45 junior in Florida overall.
Ford chose U of L over South Carolina primarily, Trinity Christian defensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator Gerard Ross said, citing a strong relationship with wide receivers coach Ron Dugans and head coach Charlie Strong. Florida, Florida State and Oregon were some of the many other major teams to have made offers, Ross said.
“The type of offense Louisville runs suits him, and they always recruit Florida players,” Ross said. “He felt comfortable with them. Coach Strong turned down the Tennessee job (last winter) and showed he’s going to be at Louisville for the next four years, and that was big also.”
Ford, who is high school teammates with U of L offensive line pledge Kavaris Harkless, made his decision a day after Fort Lauderdale wide receiver George Rushing committed to Louisville. The Cards also have a commitment at the position from Jacksonville Sandalwood’s DeSean Blair.
Eleven of U of L’s commitments have come since April 11.
Ford is also a college basketball prospect who would like to try to play that sport at U of L, too, Ross said.
On the football field, Ford “is just one of those players that has ‘it,’ if you know what I mean,” Ross said. “At 171 pounds, he’s kind of light, but when the ball’s in the air, no matter who is in front of him, he has a knack for getting the ball and making the play at the line.
“He’s the type of kid who if there is an opposing, good cornerback, he wants him and wants to challenge that guy.”
Ross said Ford is also a strong student and a hard worker who never misses a workout and enjoys studying game film.
Ross said Ford and Harkless are good friends, and Harkless’ decision to pick Louisville helped make it attractive for Ford to do the same.
Ross, a former Florida State player who knows Dugans, another former Seminole; Strong and other members of U of L’s staff well, is bullish on the Cards’ football future.
“Looking at the track history of the last couple years, them pulling Teddy Bridgewater away from the University of Miami when he’s a Miami native, that speaks volumes in itself,” he said. “Then with them going to be Big East champs, going to the Sugar Bowl and knocking off an SEC power the Florida Gators, and they don’t even have their full recruiting (classes that where signed all under Strong) in there yet and have accomplished all that. It’s not going to help but get better.
“I think they can be a national power. With them in the ACC, they’ll have an opportunity to compete for ACC championships, and if they win that they’ll have an opportunity to get in the national championship. I don’t know which year it’ll be, but within that four-year span of Isaiah and Kavaris, they’ll have a great opportunity to have a great shot at a national championship.”
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