Michigan football generally hasn’t been adept at recruiting the state of Mississippi, but in the 2027 class, the Wolverines now have two commitments from The Magnolia State.
The latest is 2027 Greenwood (Miss.) four-star linebacker Frederrick Ford, who pledged to the maize and blue on Thursday evening, only weeks after receiving a Michigan offer. Ford visited Ann Arbor twice last week, once on an unofficial visit, and again on an official visit over the weekend. He pulled the trigger shortly after.
We watched the tape (before checking out any external scouting report) and came away with what type of player Ford is and what the Wolverines are getting from him out of high school. Here is our initial scouting report based on his junior highlight reel.
Our take:
247Sports scouting report:
Here’s the scouting report from Andrew Ivins:
-Dangly hit-and-run linebacker that can collect stops around the field.-Pairs a projectable 6-foot-3 frame with exceptional athletic markers: 91 explosion score, 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash.-Charges forward and will beat ball carriers and block to the perimeter.-Runs feet through contact, frequently firing through the hips.-Fluid in zone coverage while reach tends to give him an advantage in man-to-man looks.-Got looks in the box, in the slot and up top as a junior while also hunting heads on special teams units.-Will need to improve the sonar in the coming years while also adding some much-needed weight, but has no shortage of developmental upside with his range and physicality.-Projects as a potential impact defender at the Power Four level in an era where everyone wants to get longer and faster.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 6-foot-5, 203-pound linebacker see some early time as a freshman, in the same way that we saw Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng in their freshman years. It shouldn’t be expected that he will take a starring role as Junior Colson had, but by year two, he very well could be at the very least in rotation, if not an outright starter.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Scouting report on new Michigan football commit Frederrick Ford
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
