Kentucky Adds USC Transfer OT Courtland Ford

Kentucky Adds USC Transfer OT Courtland Ford

Kentucky football has landed its first transfer portal acquisition of the April window in USC offensive tackle Courtland Ford:

The 6-foot-6 lineman played in 20 games across three years for the Trojans, starting in 12 of those, mostly manning the left tackle spot. Coming out of Cedar Hill, Texas, Ford was a 3-star recruit and the No. 52 OT in the 2020 class. Originally an LSU commit, Ford also took official visits to Purdue, SMU, Minnesota before the Trojans were finally able to lock down his recruitment.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley had high praise for Ford before he entered the portal:

"Courtland has really improved his body. He's been a little limited with a small offseason procedure that he had, hasn't been able to get all the competitive reps," he said. "But has really changed his body and moving extremely well. Excited to get him back because he did some nice things for us at the end of the year as well."

Ford will likely compete for the starting right tackle job, alongside the likes of Jeremy Flax and Deondre Buford. Flax dealt with injury for part of the 2022 season, but still started at RT in 12 of the 13 games. 

Kentucky added two offensive-line transfers during the initial transfer portal window following the end of 2022, as Marques Cox (Northern Illinois) joined the fold and is expected to become the team's starting left tackle, while Tanner Bowles (Alabama) will provide depth all over the Big Blue Wall. 

Head coach Mark Stoops previously said that UK was going to "poke around" the portal before it opened, but it didn't take long to poke the right bear, as it led to a 305-pound tackle. 

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WATCH: Kentucky football's transfer portal signees speak to the media

Devin Leary discusses his decision to transfer to Kentucky HERE.

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Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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