Michigan Football landed a top linebacker recruiting target on Thursday evening, as 2027 four-star Frederrick Ford announced his commitment to the Wolverines.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Greenwood, Mississippi native is a very recent addition to the Wolverines’ top targets list. New linebackers coach Alex Whittingham offered Ford earlier this month on June 4. Ford quickly scheduled an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor for June 10, a trip he spoke highly of after the fact.
Advertisement
“The people was my favorite part of the visit,” Ford told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($) at the time. “They made me feel like a priority. … They greeted me, my mom and dad with a great deal of respect. It was easy to match energy with them.”
Ford took things a step further; not only did he visit Michigan for that unofficial visit, but he came right back a week-and-a-half later for an official visit. In order to make it happen, he had to cancel his official visit to another one of his top contenders, the LSU Tigers. The fact Ford was willing to cancel his official visit to one of the top SEC programs — and a school that has long dominated recruiting in the area he is from — to visit Michigan again so soon speaks volumes about where his head was at after that first trip to Ann Arbor.
247Sports’ Andrew Ivins scouted Ford back in March and had this to say about his game:
-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.
Advertisement
Other than Michigan and LSU, Ford was also considering schools like Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Tennessee, among others. He is the second linebacker to commit to the Wolverines in the 2027 class, alongside three-star Brayden Watson. Michigan is now up to 19 total commitments in this cycle.
Ford is ranked No. 9 in the state of Mississippi, No. 21 at the linebacker position and No. 243 overall, per the Rivals Industry Rankings. Check out his top junior year highlights in the video below.
