Johnny Ford 18' - Coral Gables RB

[Bunker Mentality]

Kid should be an offer. In our back yard and talented as all get out. Find a position later.

 

[Bunker Mentality]

I coached this kid years ago when he played travel basketball. He is extremely athletic and physically tough. But we had several problems with him. He is not very coachable and doesn't take criticism well. When things don't go his way he shuts down. We had this happen numerous times. He may have since matured but kids with this type of character are not prized recruits.

Things seem to go his way in football, so he's all good. Basketball is a way different sport.. He's a football player all the way.

 

[TNmiami]

this is what jeff thomas would look like as a running back imo

 

[kryptonite]

I'm thinking Darren Sproles when I see him. Sometimes you just got to see a football player, not size and say I can do something with that.

Yeah, I get the thing about ideal size but at some point you just shoot yourself in the foot by insisting that every WR be 6'+ and every RB be 200lbs+. Seems like it's worth taking a kid like this every year as a punt/kick returner and see if he can do anything else at the D1 level.

 

[JayyJr]

The kid has Roscoe Parrish, Devin Hester written all over him, these are the kind of athletes that change games for you in the blink of an eye..You don't pass them up in your own back yard.

 

[BALLHAWKU]

I hope get this kid he's got that game changing speed we need

 

[JHallCanes]

As everyone else is saying, the speed is insane. Reminds me a lot of De'Anthony Thomas out of Oregon a few years back. Someone we can move around the field and get the ball to in space. Dont predict we use him a lot between the tackles though, even in college he will get destroyed by linebackers up the middle

He looks faster than Thomas but I agree with you. Those Oregon guys weren't as fast as they looked.

I would hate to see a kid like this get passed over by the big 3 only to end up at a place like Oregon. Or get snagged up by Strong, Kiffen, or Butch.

 

[k9cane]

I'm thinking Darren Sproles when I see him. Sometimes you just got to see a football player, not size and say I can do something with that.

Yeah, I get the thing about ideal size but at some point you just shoot yourself in the foot by insisting that every WR be 6'+ and every RB be 200lbs+. Seems like it's worth taking a kid like this every year as a punt/kick returner and see if he can do anything else at the D1 level.

Agreed, at what point do you take production over 'the prototype'. Last I checked, this is college football, not an NFL draft board

 

[FrancisSawyer]

With Walton, Burns, and MacFarland all being "bigger" backs (not 220 bigger but in the 200 range) I wouldn't mind a rangy scat-back like this that we could move around the field.

You see MacFarland as a bigger back?

 

[ghost2]

At 5'9 200 I do. Maybe "thicker" would have been a better word. Compared to somebody like Ford certainly.

 

[brock]

At 5'9 200 I do. Maybe "thicker" would have been a better word. Compared to somebody like Ford certainly.

Thing is McFarland has some good weight on but is still shifty, fast and quick. Imo he seems he is capable of providing a lot of what duke johnson did albeit he's already over 200 pounds coming into college

 

[AUcane]

reminds me little of Markeith Cooper from back in the day

Palmetto's finest!

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I saw several games this season. Coral Gables had its best season in many years. But the offensive line wasn't dominant play after play. They'd get neutralized and then suddenly Ford would break something big. I really thought they should have used him more frequently at wildcat quarterback.

Dion Lewis was such a revelation for Pittsburgh as a freshman, like a smaller quicker LeSean McCoy. I wondered why every team doesn't seek out someone like that. Then it made no sense how Lewis got lost for several years until New England -- predictably -- was the team that was astute enough to revive his career.