Elite 4-Star EDGE KJ Ford is down to three schools, and the USC Trojans are no longer in the running. He just announced the final three programs, which include:
- Texas A&M
- Florida
- Ohio State
NEWS: Four-Star EDGE KJ Ford is down to Florida, Texas A&M, & Ohio State, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 3, 2025
The 6’4 245 EDGE from Duncanville, TX will announce his Commitment on July 11th
Where Should He Go? ⬇️https://t.co/vI9jwNqacU pic.twitter.com/s6FwRRmUv1
KJ Ford was one of the last EDGE players that the USC Trojans were recruiting to complete the position group for the 2026 class. He was scheduled to have an official visit the weekend of June 20, but a major recruiting win for the Trojans changed that.
Why Are USC Trojans Out On KJ Ford?
A few weeks ago, USC surprisingly canceled the official visit of 5-star EDGE Trenton Henderson. Many were surprised by this, but it was due to the fact that the Trojans had set their sights on two prospects whom they felt good about committing.
- KJ Ford
- Luke Wafle
Luke Wafle had his official visit the weekend prior to Ford arriving. The events surrounding Wafle were well documented by LAFB, but he ultimately committed to Lincoln Riley and the Men of Troy on Thursday, June 19th.
Had Wafle committed to Ohio State or Penn State, USC would have gone all in on Ford, but since he decided to make the decision to come out West, they moved on from Ford, allowing him to focus on other programs and schedule a different OV.
It is good to see the USC Trojans recruiting with purpose and decisiveness. Both Wafle and Ford are very talented prospects, but USC made the decision and got the player they wanted most.
Wafle is the 10th-ranked EDGE, while Ford is ranked 18th, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.