Photo by Jake Weirick
In the world of college football, players moving from one team to another is pretty common. But it’s not every day you see someone switch to a team they used to compete against. It’s even more unusual for them to go back to their original team.
So just call Kyle Ford a rare breed.
Kyle Ford was a top-notch player, a five-star wide receiver, who first played for USC. Then, in a surprising move, he switched to their rivals, UCLA, in 2023. But guess what? He’s decided to return to USC. He made the announcement this past Tuesday, and it was quite the talk of the town.
BREAKING: Former USC WR Kyle Ford, who spent last season at UCLA, is transferring back to USC, he tells @on3sports
The 6’3 220 WR will have 1 year of eligibility remaining
“My fault I was trippin. #Committed”https://t.co/29Gra0Kcln pic.twitter.com/971mUiziQv
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 23, 2024
Let’s pause for a sec. “My fault I was trippin’”—isn’t that just the perfect way to say you’re switching back? It’s like he’s saying, “Oops, my bad,” and just like that, he’s likely won back a bunch of fans at USC.
Kyle Ford’s journey has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. Before he swapped his USC red and gold for UCLA blue, he was a big deal. Part of USC’s super impressive 2019 recruiting class, he was. But then, a knee injury from high school days slowed him down. And while he was recovering, another player, Drake London, became the new star receiver for USC.
Talk about tough luck. Ford faced another knee injury right before the 2020 season. Despite these setbacks, he managed to become USC’s fourth and fifth-leading receiver in the following years. He was known for catching the ball well whenever he got the chance.
With new players coming in and others returning in 2023, Ford entered the transfer portal, hoping to play more. His time at UCLA? Well, it didn’t go as planned. He only caught 22 passes for 236 yards. Meanwhile, back at USC, the team’s receivers weren’t doing as great as everyone thought they would. Ford probably would’ve had more chances to shine if he’d stayed.
Now, returning to USC seems like a smart move. Sure, he’ll still have to fight for his spot, but the team needs experienced players. Most of the scholarship receivers at USC are pretty young, and there’s not much backup. A seasoned player like Ford could really help the younger ones, like Zachariah Branch and Duce Robinson.
In a single sentence, Kyle Ford’s return to USC adds much-needed experience to a young and talented group of receivers.
And just like that, the story of Kyle Ford takes another twist. It’s a reminder that in college football, just like in life, sometimes you find your way back home.
