UCLA football: 3 newcomers that will have the biggest impacts in 2023

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Nov 11, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) runs the ball against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Kyle Ford was one of those players that I expected to be a star out of high school. He was a borderline five-star receiver out of Orange, Calif., and the fit at USC just made sense. He was joining a program that was known for producing elite receivers and he figured to be the next one.

But he just never lived up to the expectations. A lot of that had to do with multiple knee injuries.

Ford is, however, coming off his best season yet and deciding to transfer to a program that could utilize his services more will be beneficial. The 6-2, 225-pound receiver has played just 20 games since his knee injuries in 2019 and 2020 and he has 39 catches for 617 yards and four touchdowns. It just feels like his confidence is building.

You might be wondering why I have Ford as one of the “biggest impact” guys on the team heading into next season with just 21 career games under his belt, and it’s because his potential is limitless and he’s just never been able to stay healthy enough to prove just how good he can be.

Ford will be a legit WR1 option next season.

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