What it means: Ford Picks Utah

It cannot be stated lightly, the linebacker position for the University of Utah is the most important spot to upgrade for the 2020 class. With that in mind, the Utes and linebackers coach, Colton Swan, got a pleasant boost on Tuesday with the addition of Frisco Lone Star HS backer, Jaylan Ford.

The 6-foot-3 and 210 pounder visited the Utes during the Idaho State game, and at the time the belief was that Texas Tech was in the lead. Ultimately that visit changed things, and the Utes beat out the Red Raiders, Washington State, Kansas, Minnesota, and 12 G5 programs.

What the Utes are getting

Ford shows great instincts in pass coverage with a great nose for the ball and he easily gets himself in positions to make plays on the ball. As a junior he had 110 tackles, 11 TFL, four INT, eight PBU and a sack. With the 6-foot-3 and 210 pound frame, he’s a wrecking ball when it comes to disrupting the run. He'll throw himself into any situation and can disrupt running lanes really well.

In some ways, Ford is comparable to Devin Lloyd with his rangy athletic ability, but he should be more ready to plug-and-play, as Lloyd was more raw out of high school and needing to grow into his frame. Ford has a near college-ready body as a high school senior.

Overall, Ford’s a sound open-field tackler, that can shed blocks well, and also makes the big hit when given the opportunity.

What this means for the class

As mentioned, linebacker is a big position of need, as Francis Bernard will be graduating and behind him, there’s not much experience. Lloyd, Sione Hemuli-Lund, Trennan Carlson, and Andrew Mataafa will all be back, but unless a true backup or two emerges during crunch time the rest of the season, the battle will be wide open going into 2020. With that in mind, the Utes will look to add 1-3 more backers, with Ford and Graham Faloona already in the fold. Caleb McCullough, Sione Fotu, and Ace Kaufusi are a few names to watch going forward.