How a Position Change Got Trace Ford Comfortable Again at Oklahoma

A backup defensive end, Trace Ford played cheetah in OU's last game and had his best game as a Sooner since transferring from Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma's Trace Ford / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite being further down the totem pole, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables eventually took the advice of senior defensive analyst Xavier Brewer. 

Brewer, who played defensive back for Venables at Clemson, has gotten more responsibility since a new rule made it where analysts can now actually coach. Venables entrusted Brewer to coach the cheetahs, a hybrid position in Venables’ defenses that is almost like having a third safety who could also play linebacker. Before OU’s SEC opener against Tennessee on Saturday, Brewer told Venables he wanted the 6-foot-2, 252-pound defensive end Trace Ford to join his position group. 

“He’s like, ‘I can get Trace Ford ready to play,’” Venables recalled during his weekly coach’s show on Monday. “I’m like, ‘No way, man, he plays defensive end. He can’t play out there in all that space.’ He goes, ‘Trust me.’ And I’m like, ‘Alright.’ So he did. 

“And (Ford) played outstanding. He had to play because of Kendel’s (Dolby) injury. Sammy (Omosigho) played out there, too. But Trace played a lot. He played at a really, really high level. And I told him, ‘If you play well, Trace, I think your future you can play in the NFL, like a long time. You’re a hybrid guy and you have to be able to show that.’ So it was great for him not just to display his versatility for down the road, (but) for us, that versatility, because he’s lightning fast.”

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How Injuries Made Oklahoma's Trace Ford a 'Better Person'

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Saturday night, Ford had his best game as a Sooner since transferring across Bedlam lines from Oklahoma State after the 2022 season. He tallied three tackles in the loss to Tennessee. It was his first game this season with a tackle and first contest with at least three tackles since he played against his former team last season. 

The play of the night for Ford was a sack in the second quarter. It was Ford’s first sack since he was still a Cowboy in 2022. He exploded off the edge, and using what Venables deemed the “windmill,” he ducked under the right tackle with his hand grazing the green grass, then got to quarterback Nico Iamaleava to record the sack and also force a fumble. Gracen Halton jumped on the fumble on Tennessee’s 33-yard line. The takeaway didn’t amount to any points from the great field position, though, as OU quarterback Jackson Arnold fumbled on the very next play. 

“He puts his hands on the grass and just dips and has a unique ability to sink his hips because he’s not stiff, bend his knees because he’s not stiff, and accelerate right past the guy,” Venables said. “Didn’t even touch him, and he caused the fumble. He’s really skilled. We’ll have to continue to bring him along, and then he can go line up, set an edge as a defensive end, as well. Really good stuff.”

Although an unwanted blow for OU, Ford’s move came at a perfect time. Kendel Dolby, the starter at cheetah, injured his ankle during Saturday’s game and is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on Wednesday. Although still listed as R Mason Thomas’ backup at defensive end on the depth chart, Ford will also get playing time at cheetah alongside Sammy Omosigho to help fill Dolby’s void. 

“Really disruptive,” OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said of Ford’s performance. “Coming off the edge, setting the edge, making a couple really, really nice tackles for loss, strip sack, some of those, when we needed them, he was clutch. 

“That was the plan for the week. We had planned to play him out there and give him some opportunities because he’s got such a diverse and disruptive skill set. Obviously with Dolby going down he had to play more than maybe he would have had Dolby been available, but proud of the way he responded to that. I thought when we had some critical times and critical moments, he was there to make the play.”

Ford, from Edmond Santa Fe High School (OK), had never seemed comfortable in crimson before Saturday. In fact, he hasn’t seemed himself since his first two seasons at OSU. He had an explosive freshman campaign, posting a career-high 29 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. As a sophomore in a COVID-shortened 2020 season, Ford still had 22 tackles and had a career-high 4.5 sacks. But then he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him all of 2021, and after a lackluster 2022 that was cut short again because of a lingering knee injury, he left Stillwater for Norman with hopes of a fresh start. The knee injury still slowed him a bit last season, as Ford had 18 tackles without a sack. 

Then, somehow, a move to a position he seemed out of place for had Ford comfortable again on the football field.  

“Tremendously,” Ford said. “Just having a lot of time in that system, it's easy to figure out and get rolling, so I feel really comfortable out there now.”

Trace Ford was finally himself again, and that’s exactly why he believes he performed the way he did.

“Just being myself, getting my feet wet finally,” Ford said. “Finally making plays just gave me confidence to go harder, play harder, play faster. That's all. Just being myself.”