LOS ANGELES — Kyle Ford threw up the white flag on social media, offering a brief plea for forgiveness after switching sides 15 miles west.
“Trippin’ lol, let’s get to work” the receiver wrote, in the comments of an On3 post announcing he had transferred to USC. “I’ll make it up to y’all.”
Indeed, just a season after transferring from USC to cross-town rival UCLA, Ford is back at USC – a move that seemed destined since he was spotted at a USC spring practice a couple of weeks ago. It’s yet another piece in an offseason of heavy movement out of Westwood and into Troy, as Ford will rejoin defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, safety Kamari Ramsey and cornerback John Humphrey in coming from UCLA to USC in the last few months.
It’s a move that makes sense for all parties, as Ford obviously has plenty of familiarity with Lincoln Riley’s offense and Dennis Simmons as his receivers coach, after a 2022 season when he racked up 365 yards and two touchdowns. A five-star recruit out of Orange Lutheran High back in 2018, Ford spent four years with USC before heading to UCLA in 2023, where he seemed a natural breakout candidate but finished with a relatively underwhelming 22 catches for 236 yards.
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Riley affirmed toward the end of spring camp that USC might look for a receiver in the transfer portal, and the Trojans seemed in particular need of a deep-ball, big-play threat, receivers not displaying an ability to consistently separate deep in one-on-one situations during Saturday’s spring showcase. Ford is a natural fit, at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds – but he has never displayed consistent production in college, and now is in the mix of a potential logjam in USC’s receiver room. Sophomore Ja’Kobi Lane tweeted a rather cryptic emoji shortly after Ford’s announcement; USC is light on proven production but heavy on young depth, with Lane, Duce Robinson, Makai Lemon and Zachariah Branch all seemingly set to step into expanded roles.
Regardless, Ford’s arrival – re-arrival, really – gives Riley another big-bodied target in USC’s scheme, and leaves UCLA without a veteran returner.
