Florida’s defense has already found one freshman who is making noise in the right place. Veteran linebacker Myles Graham pointed to jack linebacker KJ Ford as the newcomer who has separated himself early in Gainesville.
“He's a natural just kind of pass rush,” Graham told Florida Gators on SI on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “He's just a natural football player.”
Ford arrived as a four-star recruit and a top-20 player at his position, with Georgia, Alabama, LSU and Miami all in the mix before Florida landed him. His senior season gave a clear preview of why so many schools wanted him. He finished with 14.5 sacks, 41 QB hurries, 42 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown.
“He's just very limber, loose,” Graham said. “He's very mobile.
He's fast. He's going to be a great player for us this year, and the next years to come.”
Ford’s early buzz matters because Florida needs help in that area. The Gators finished with 26 sacks as a team, sixth fewest in the SEC, and 141 sack yards for loss, the third fewest in the conference.
Their pass defense allowed 222.9 yards per game, which landed in the middle of the league, while the run defense was even shakier. Florida gave up the third most rushing yards in the SEC, and its 60 tackles for loss ranked 102nd in college football.
The hope is that Ford can be part of the answer at jack, especially after Jayden Woods established himself at the position last season. Ford is also expected to be listed ahead of reshirt senior Kofi Asare, a sign of how quickly his talent has shown up.
Still, the Gators know there’s a learning curve. The experience gap at the position is real, and how much Ford can help right away will depend on how fast he handles the jump from high school to college.
“The biggest thing for high school guys when they enroll early is how is that transition piece - how does it work for him,” outside linebackers coach Bam Hardmon said back in March. “I think he’s been going about it the right way from the standpoint of, he’s able to learn the playbook.”
Hardmon also said Florida sees a role for Ford if he keeps building the way he has.
“He still has some room to grow, don’t get me wrong, but we’re trying to put him in position to where he can have a role, and he’s approaching it the right way from a standpoint of his work ethic,” Hardmon said.
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