As the days count down to the 2023 football season, Kentucky Football looks to add more depth at a position highly discussed going back to last spring -- the right tackle position.
With the progression of transfer tackle Marques Cox and the shift of Kenneth Horsey back to his natural position at guard, the opening fought for by Jeremy Flax, Deondre Buford, David Wohlabuagh, and Josh Jones may be settled thanks to the transfer portal. Courtland Ford has been a heavily sought-after tackle since entering the portal a week and a half ago.
The veteran is coming off of a "small off-season procedure" according to USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley, but had impressed the coaches in the off-season with his body. In a substantially deep offensive line room for Riley's Trojans, the 6-foot-6, 305 pound tackle has only played the left side of the field since his debut to college football in 2020, where he started just one game as a true freshman at left guard.
Ford followed up the 2020 season by starting in USC's first 8 games in 2021 at left tackle and was then sidelined by a combination of a leg injury and mono. He came back to start 3 times in Lincoln Riley's debut season in 2022 at left tackle. After allowing the most sacks in all of Power Five football last season, there was a sense of urgency amongst those offensive linemen throughout the spring, more particularly with the right tackle spot to rebuild the wall "brick by brick."
Once he decides to make it official, Kentucky will likely look for a few other pieces from the transfer portal to add to the team before the next camp begins. Courtland Ford will have just three years of eligibility left.