Former USF RB, Miami native Ford transferring to Owls

Former South Florida running back Johnny Ford announced on social media Tuesday morning that he will transfer to FAU.

Ford, who attended Miami High School, rushed for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns on 189 carries in 24 games from 201820 with the Bulls. He added 352 yards in the air on 31 receptions for four touchdowns.

The Miami native departed from USF in late November. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Ford had been suspended multiple times during his tenure with the Bulls for unspecified team-rules violations.

He missed a couple of games during the 2020 season due to contact tracing related to the novel coronavirus, finishing the year with 285 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 55 carries.

Ford also had 15 receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown last season and was used more on kick returns, recording 321 kick-return yards on 13 attempts in 2020 after having five kick returns the previous two seasons.

He had a strong true freshman season with USF in 2018, finishing with 787 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 115 carries in 11 games.

After redshirting the 2019 season and the NCAA giving players an eligibility waiver for 2020, Ford’s expected to have three years of eligibility left.

It isn’t yet known how FAU’s running back room will look in 2021 due to the NCAA giving players an extra year of eligibility due to the 2020 season being played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Owls signed one running back to their 2021 recruiting class during the early signing period in Zuberi Mobley out of Northwestern High School (Miami). Running back prospect Reginald Davis out of Robert E. Lee High School (Montgomery, Ala.) is committed to FAU’s 2021 recruiting class, but isn’t signed.

National signing day is Feb. 3.

MICHAELDWYER |AP Former South Florida running back Johnny Ford is expected to have three years of eligibility left once he joins FAU.