One of USC's most anticipated up-and-coming playmakers will reportedly be delayed from making an impact for the Trojans on the field after suffering an ACL tear for the second time in the last three years. Wide receiver Kyle Ford, the No. 38 overall player in the Class of 2019 and the top-rated player in USC's recruiting class that year, is expected to be out "for the foreseeable future" after suffering the injury, according to Kelly Eure of 247Sports.
Ford tore his ACL in the opposite knee of his new tear back during his senior season of high school; it caused him to miss the start of the 2019 campaign for the Trojans. He appeared in just four games after making his debut in late October, recording one catch for 20 yards and a touchdown, and was allowed to take a redshirt for the year.
While the wideout room is loaded at USC with a handful of gifted players battling for time, Ford had an opportunity to see his playing time improve following the graduation of Michael Pittman. Ford received first-team reps for the lone spring practice that USC got in before college football was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, per 247Sports.
He drew comparisons to former USC standout JuJu Smith-Schuster for his pro-ready frame and ball-catching abilities coming out of high school.
USC is still expected to have one of the top offenses in the Pac-12 with Kedon Slovis at quarterback and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell in his second year leading the unit. While Ford's absence for 2020 is a loss, the group still has high-quality options for Slovis with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Vaughns and Drake London, among others.
