Knowing destination, Ford changed timetable for announcement

Luke Ford planned on making his announcement Jan. 6 at the nationally televised U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

He had every intention of taking his remaining official visits to the final contending schools: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Illinois and Texas A&M. But as the early signing period began Tuesday, he saw the Bulldogs sign six five-star prospects -- including the one he really wanted to play with, quarterback Justin Fields.

The thought then was why wait? Each of the other programs were trying to entice Ford to wait it out and stick to his intended signing day of Feb. 7, but it was to no avail.

The top-ranked player in Illinois wanted to get it over with and announced he would sign Thursday afternoon at Carterville High School. When the clock hit 4 p.m., Ford stood up and donned a Georgia cap.

“I knew where I wanted to go, and just decided not to drag it out,” Ford told The Telegraph after his letter-of-intent was received by Georgia. “On (Wednesday), I just really started to feel it and I’ve known it was Georgia for a couple months.”

Ford’s decision capped a near-historical period for head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. As the events transpired, it seemed that Georgia would have the early portion of its 2018 class completed when Brenton Cox decided at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday -- but then the surprises started to appear.

Georgia got the flip from Alabama defensive back commit Nadab Joseph hours later. Then Ford joined four-star linebacker Channing Tindall as prospects to change their intended signing date. The Bulldogs hold the top-ranked recruiting class, according to the 247Sports.com composite, with the top-rated players from Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and South Carolina.

A bulk of the Bulldogs’ incoming talent comes on the offensive end as signees at quarterback, running back, tight end, offensive tackle and offensive guard all rank within the top three at their respective positions.

Fields is the one that intrigues prospects the most, and Ford insisted upon his desire to play alongside him throughout his recruiting process. That came to fruition Thursday afternoon.

“I kept my word,” Ford said. “We formed a relationship at the Nike Opening, and became good friends there. We’ve been texting back-and-forth and I’d say we’re pretty close.”

Ford joins Marist product John FitzPatrick as the duo of tight ends to sign with the 2018 class. FitzPatrick met Ford on a Nov. 4 unofficial visit and has already built a rapport with his future 6-foot-6 teammate.

The two newcomers will join a talented unit under position coach Shane Beamer -- which will be led by former five-star Isaac Nauta after the looming departure of Jeb Blazevich.

“Luke has the size, strength and speed to be successful,” Carterville High School football head coach Dennis Drust said. “His versatility has made him a special recruit in the fact that he has the ability to play on the line of scrimmage, but also detach as a slot receiver. He has great hands and seems to catch the ball effortlessly.”

Throughout the recruiting process, Ford would be contacted by Georgia commits as they gave their pitch to the highly touted tight end. But he wasn’t pressured, and Drust saw the Bulldogs take a family oriented approach to recruit Ford.

Beamer led those efforts, and promises opportunity for his players -- even if it may not be in pass-catching. The second-year Bulldogs’ position coach gains the approval of Ford, and he sees “unlimited potential” in this incoming class.

“The tight end usage is big, because they’ve got three sets of them,” Ford said. “They’ve showed they use freshmen with Isaac Nauta (in 2016), and they’re all really good coaches. My requirements for college are winning a (national championship) and going to the NFL, and this school was that fit for me.”

This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Knowing destination, Ford changed timetable for announcement."