Heavy SEC, Big 12 interest in Derrian Ford
Derrian Ford, the No. 38 ranked prospect in the 2022 class, has become one of the most highly recruited players in the South in his class. The 6-foot-3 scoring guard lights up the scoreboards on the court and takes care of business in the classroom, so it’s not hard to understand why schools from coast to coast have jumped into his recruitment.
Ford mentioned Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt as schools he’s in regular contact with. The Arkansas native has already been on visits to Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, UCLA and Vanderbilt.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Arkansas: “They got a great program. They have a lot of coaches with NBA experience, so they are developing their guys to be prepared for the NBA. They have a lot of bonding time with their players and help them on and off the court.”
Auburn: “They stay in contact and they are really showing a lot of interest. We talk a few times a week. I love their whole coaching staff. We just had a great zoom meeting.”
Baylor: “Baylor is a great program. They always keep their guys working hard. They are very family-based and build bonds with their players on and off the court.”
Florida: “Florida is a great program. We had a great zoom meeting also. They want me to come down for a visit when the dead period ends.”
Kansas: “It’s a great program. I haven’t talked to them a ton because they’ve had a lot going on, but they are a great program from what I’ve seen.”
Texas A&M: “They have a very nice campus. It’s a little small town and it’s beautiful. They really focus on their guys there. We just had a zoom meeting with them too. I got to see their style of play and learned more about how they treat their players.”
RIVALS REACTION
It’s still early in the process for Ford, but he’s been very aggressive getting to learn more about all the coaching staffs through zoom calls and early campus visits. With the dead period that started back in March and now extended through the end of the year at least, it’s stalled the process a little bit for many 2022 prospects like Ford, who want to see the long list of schools recruiting them. Whenever the dead period ends, look for the four-star shooting guard to get back on the road for visits and from there he’ll move towards making a decision.