NewsOK member benefits

Oklahoma Sooners Sports News and Articles

Oklahoma football: Sooners expected to get a gem in running back Keith Ford

Ford led Cypress Ranch — in just its third season of varsity football — to the Texas state playoffs. He rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior.

By Jason Kersey | Published: February 5, 2013 Comment on this article

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

OU Football: Jay Norvell on 2013 class

Feb 7The Sooners' co-offensive coordinator addresses the...

OU Football: Mike Stoops on rumors and speculations

Feb 7The OU DC talks about what his defense will play next...

OU Football: Signing Day Analysis

Feb 6Berry Tramel and Jason Kersey talk about the 2013 OU...

OU Football: Bob Stoops' Signing Day press conference

Feb 6The head coach talks about his 23 signees for the 2013...

Signing Day: Jared Rayburn

Feb 6The Deer Creek senior talks about why he signed with...

Oklahoma Football: Dominique Alexander signs with the Sooners

Feb 6The senior from Booker T. Washington committed to the...

Douglass High School players sign with teams

Feb 6Douglass' Chris High signs with the Naval Academy while...

OSU Football: MIke Gundy's Signing Day press conference

Feb 6The Cowboys head coach talks about his 2013 class of 23...

OSU Football: Signing Day Analysis

Feb 6John Helsley and Anthony Slater break down the Cowboys'...

Oklahoma State Football: Overview of 2013 signing day

Feb 6Gina Mizell and Jenni Carlson provide analysis of...

Jaxon Salinas signs with Oklahoma State

Feb 6Jaxon Salinas, offensive lineman from Irving, Texas,...

Jordan Smallwood heading to Norman

Feb 6Receiver from Jenks High School, Jordan Smallwood, signs...

Oklahoma State Football: Fred Ross switches commitment

Feb 6Receiver Fred Ross switches commitment to Mississippi State.

Oklahoma State Football: Local Recruits

Feb 6The OSU Cowboys recuited several local high school...

Del City's Corey Lawrence, Jake Warehime sign

Feb 6Corey Lawrence and Jake Warehime from Del City High...

Carlos Freeman signs with Washington State

Feb 6Midwest City offensive lineman Carlos Freeman signs with...

OU Football: Missed Recruiting Opportunities

Feb 6Ryan Aber talks about missed recruiting opportunities...

Oklahoma State Football: Vili Leveni Commits to OSU

Feb 6The defensive end from Hurst, Texas, will be joining his...

OU football: Linebacker recruits

Feb 6Ryan Aber and Jenni Carlson talk about the two local...

Oklahoma State Football: Jesse Robinson Commits to OSU

Feb 6Jesse Robinson, an Offensive Lineman for Hurst, Texas,...

Oklahoma State Football: Dawson Bassett commits to the Cowboys

Feb 6Cooper Bassett's younger brother will be joining the...

Oklahoma State Football: Running Back Recruits

Feb 6Who are some of the recruits that could fill the void...

Oklahoma Football: 2013 Recruiting Class

Feb 6Who are some of the new recruits who could make an...

OU Football Recruiting: Skilled Positions

Feb 5The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey and Ryan Aber discuss 2013...

OSU Football Recruiting: Skilled Positions

Feb 5The Oklahoman's Scott Wright and Gina Mizell discuss 2013...

Oklahoma football: Sooners are getting a work-a-holic in quarterback Cody Thomas

Feb 4Thomas stunned OU co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel...

Photoview all 97 photos

Article Gallery: Oklahoma football: Sooners expected to get a gem in running back Keith Ford

NewsOK Related Articles

Khari Harding and the Signing Day story behind a father's smile
02/06/2013 COMMENTARY — Six years after his father brought him out of a bad situation and back to Oklahoma, Khari Harding is preparing to leave again — this time on...
Signing Day notebook: Del City coach says Oregon State gets a steal in wide receiver/running back Corey Lawrence
02/06/2013 Lawrence said he is excited about becoming a Beaver and playing in Corvalis, Ore., even though it's a long way from home.
Oklahoma State football recruiting: Cowboys had Jaxon Salinas sold after junior day
02/06/2013 “If I get here, it'll be a miracle,” Salinas remembers thinking during junior day. “I truly love this place.”
Oklahoma football recruiting: Stoops brothers thrilled with newly signed defensive backs
02/06/2013 L.J. Moore, the high school teammate of Hatari Byrd, decides later in the day to sign with Oklahoma. “It's going to be really nasty in that secondary,”...
Oklahoma State recruiting: Prep teammates Jesse Robinson, Vili Leveni will be teammates at OSU
02/06/2013 The teammates from Hurst L.D. Bell might have opposite demeanors, but they bonded over the past three years during their head-to-head practice battles in the...
Oklahoma State football notebook: Mike Gundy says he's close to hiring new offensive coordinator
02/06/2013 With the system in place, the new coordinator must adapt to the offense, not vice versa.
OU football recruiting notebook: Bob Stoops anticipates Cody Thomas will stick with football
02/06/2013 Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops acknowledged that his 2013 quarterback signee, Cody Thomas, will likely be picked in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft, but...
High school football: Deer Creek's Austin Loomis, Jared Rayburn and Tyler Follis headed to SWOSU
02/06/2013 Three Deer Creek standouts signed a football letter of intent with Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday, keeping the recruiting pipeline from Edmond to...
Oklahoma State recruiting: Family relents, gives Ofa Hautau blessing to sign with Cowboys
02/06/2013 Hautau's family wanted the defensive tackle to stay close to home in Utah. But Hautau got his wish and will play football for Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma football recruiting: Dominique Alexander hit the weights before signing letter of intent
02/06/2013 Alexander said he knows in order to make the Sooners proud, he needs to continue to work.
OU football recruiting: D.J. Ward waiting for NCAA clearance, adapting to college life
02/06/2013 D.J. Ward, who returned to Southmoore for a signing ceremony Wednesday, has been enrolled at OU since last month but is waiting on the NCAA to clear his...
OU football recruiting: Jordan Smallwood will always remember signing day
02/06/2013 When Smallwood got out of the car at Jenks High School, he was singing “Boomer Sooner.”
OU football recruiting: Sooners get late 4-star signee in Fresno's L.J. Moore
02/06/2013 Oklahoma's signing class got a late boost Wednesday evening when Fresno (Calif.) Central East cornerback L.J. Moore picked the Sooners. Moore (6-foot-1,...
Big 12 recruiting: Despite sub-par year, Texas brings in another solid recruiting class
02/06/2013 After another disappointing season, Texas still finds itself in the top 25 rankings of recruiting classes, according to multiple recruiting services....
Del City coach Nick Warehime says Oregon State got a steal in Corey Lawrence
02/06/2013 Del City football coach Nick Warehime thinks Oregon State got a steal in Eagles wide receiver/running back Corey Lawrence. “I think he is the best...
Douglass running back Chris High headed to Naval Academy, will play in Midshipmen's option offense
02/06/2013 For Douglass running back Christopher High, the decision to play football at Navy was about more than just football. “He understands the challenges...
OSU football recruiting: Dawson Bassett takes big brother Coopers advice, takes Mike Gundy's call
02/06/2013 TUTTLE — Dawson Bassett finally got the scholarship offer he had been waiting for. As the younger brother of former Oklahoma State defensive end Cooper...
State college recruiting: Westmoore's Jhames West will switch to defense at East Central University
02/06/2013 Westmoore football standout Jhames West signed his letter of intent to attend East Central University in Ada. The speedy 6-foot, 183-pound West received...
OSU football recruiting: Cowboys' class lacks star power, but Mike Gundy says it's the best he's had
02/06/2013 STILLWATER — Mike Gundy didn't make a Signing Day splash. There was no blue-chip prospect to headline his latest Oklahoma State class. But the Cowboy...
OU football recruiting: Norman North's Jordan Evans excited about Sooners' possible move to 3-4 defense
02/06/2013 Norman North linebacker Jordan Evans grew up wanting to play football at the University of Oklahoma, following in his father's footsteps. The Sooners...
Promise of a future beyond football lures Midwest City's Carlos Freeman to Washington State
02/06/2013 CARLOS FREEMAN — The Midwest City lineman said he signed with Washington State because it offered him the greatest opportunity for football and beyond.
OSU football recruiting: Cowboys signee Jaxon Salinas drawn to Stillwater by OSU graphic design program
02/06/2013 IRVING, Texas — When Jaxon Salinas went to Oklahoma State's junior day last year, many of the program's typical recruiting selling points stood out to...
Oklahoma football: Keith Ford is Sooner because his parents were comfortable
02/06/2013 Cypress Ranch running back Keith Ford said his parents comfort with the University of Oklahoma played a big role in why he signed with the Sooners. "I just...
OSU football recruiting: Jesse Robinson convinced Hurst, Texas, teammate Vili Leveni to pick Cowboys
02/06/2013 HURST, Texas — For the past three years, defensive end Vili Leveni and offensive lineman Jesse Robinson have gone head-to-head on the practice field....
Oklahoma State football: Introducing defensive tackle Ofa Hautau
02/06/2013 Oklahoma State produced a signing day surprise Wednesday morning with the signing of Snow (Utah) Junior College defensive tackle Ofa Hautau. The 6-2,...
Tulsa football recruiting: Zac Uhles signs with Golden Hurricane, ends Uhles era in Norman
02/06/2013 NORMAN — Norman High School's Zac Uhles signed a football letter of intent with the University of Tulsa on Wednesday morning. It was a day of celebration....
OU football recruiting: Zach Long, son of former Sooner coordinator Chuck Long, to walk on at OU
02/06/2013 NORMAN — Zach Long left Norman once. He decided not to do it again. The Norman High School quarterback has chosen to walk on at OU, with the...
OSU football recruiting: Cowboys pick up late signee in juco defensive tackle Ofa Hautau
02/06/2013 Oklahoma State landed an uncommitted signee Wednesday morning when defensive tackle Ofa Hautau from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, filed his letter of...
Oklahoma State football: Receiver Fred Ross switches commitment to Mississippi State
02/05/2013 Verbally committed to Oklahoma State for nearly a year, Tyler, Texas, receiver Fred Ross decided Mississippi State was the better fit for him, changing his...
Oklahoma State recruiting: Marcell Ateman tops the Cowboys' class
02/05/2013 Receiver from Wylie, Texas, has always admired Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon. On Wednesday, he'll sign with OSU in hopes of following in their footsteps.
Recruiting: Jackson Dillon paves his own way
02/05/2013 Ringling standout is the son of a former Oklahoma Sooner, but he plans to go to Memphis instead.
Big 12 Conference recruiting class rankings
02/05/2013 Big 12 Conference recruiting class rankings 1. Oklahoma While fans might have felt like this class was slipping away from the Sooners, it is still...
Where The Oklahoman will be on Signing Day
02/05/2013 Where The Oklahoman will be on Signing Day Here's a timeline of The Oklahoman sports staff's coverage plans for National Signing Day on Wednesday: 7:30...
Signing day cliffhangers
02/05/2013 A look at some of Signing Day's other big decisions: DE Chris Jones: No recruitment has taken as many twists and turns over the past few weeks as Jones....
Top 10 national recruiting rankings
02/05/2013 Last season going into signing day, the four major recruiting ranking sites didn't have much disagreement, especially at the top. This season, though,...
Signing day suspense
02/05/2013 A look at the recruits who remain in play for OU and OSU on signing day.

Ford also earned the highest of praise from his well-traveled and highly successful coach.

“He's the best,” said Cypress Ranch coach Gene Johnson. “I've been coaching 15 years in the state of Texas. Been a head coach 12 seasons. I've signed quite a few kids ... sent kids all over. And he's the best.”

Ford, who rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, is expected to sign a National Letter of Intent with Oklahoma on Wednesday morning.

The four-star prospect — ranked by Rivals as the nation's 48th-best overall prospect — is the Sooners' only 2013 running back commitment.

With senior Damien Williams returning as the Sooners' starting running back, along with senior Brennan Clay and redshirt freshmen Alex Ross, David Smith and Daniel Brooks, Ford appears likely to redshirt next season in Norman.

“At the end of the day, it's a place he felt comfortable,” Johnson said. “He felt like the proper support was there for him to be successful academically and athletically.

“You go to Oklahoma, and a portion of it has to be the track record of producing great players, especially at the running back position.”

Ford highly enhanced his own reputation during Cypress Ranch's historic 2012 season.

After clinching their first-ever playoff berth, the Mustangs won two straight postseason games to set up a third-round showdown with Manvel, which entered the game 11-1.

The Mustangs' impressive playoff run appeared over with less than three minutes remaining that night, when Manvel held what appeared to be a comfortable 42-28 lead.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next