Louisiana’s “Mr. Football” grabs an oar ahead of Signing Day
It seems head coach P.J. Fleck and co. weren’t quite finished with their 2025 recruiting class, as they’ve added a late commitment from three-star running back Xavier Ford.
Ford was named “Mr. Football” by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association after a record-setting season in which he rushed for 3,467 yards and 52 touchdowns.
He will officially sign his letter of intent on Feb. 5 and enroll in the fall.
RTB! pic.twitter.com/BV5vX2dice
— Xavier Ford (@xavierford24) January 19, 2025
Get to know Xavier Ford
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 210
Power 4 Scholarship Offers: Houston
247 Sports Composite Rating: N/A
Scouting Report
If I had to guess why Ford’s recruitment never took off even as he piled up gaudy numbers, it’s because he lacks top end speed. Much like former Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, Ford is patient behind the line of scrimmage, but when he finds a lane, he hits the hole with a full head of steam. He rarely goes down on first contact and is elusive enough to slip tacklers in the open field. Ford would also split out as a wide receiver and looked comfortable running routes and catching passes in traffic. This could turn out to be a sneaky pick-up by the Gophers.